Is Sat Nav a vital accessory?

[st13phil]

I think everyone who has or does use a Sat Nav, if honest, will have a story of abject stupidity to tell borne of blindly following the device's directions even when they could see events unravelling in front of them

I started using a sat nav for motorcycle touring in 2006 when, due to age related eyesight degeneration, I found that I could no longer just glance down at a map or route card on the tank bag and actually focus on what I was looking at! Motorcyclists generally want to ride on particular roads for any given journey, so I almost never use the default routes created on the device, instead using paper maps (normally Michelin) to plan the route offline on a PC which is then transferred to the Sat Nav. This means that I'm effectively following a "talking road book", and the prior planning that I've done with paper maps means that I already have a mental picture of where I'm going. This in my experience is the best way to avoid Sat Nav blunders: have a series of mental waypoints in mind before you set off and it's immediately obvious if the device is suggesting that you should go somewhere other than your intended route / destination.

Using COMAND in our cars is a quite different proposition as the offline route planning and route shaping capabilities just aren't there. When on touring holidays in the car I end up using a route I've planned offline on ViaMichelin to give directions, and the moving map on COMAND to verify any turns that are uncertain or ambiguous.

 

[davidjpowell]

I cover many many miles each year, mostly accompanied by my TomTom app on the phone.

It's saved me many hours with the HD Traffic subscription. When I've ignored the traffic, I have landed firmly in the jam that it wanted to be avoided. I no longer ignore.

Like all technology it's not infallible, but it's a long time since it gave a real wrong'un.

 

[DSM10000]

If you are in no hurry try selecting "shortest" route rather than "quickest". it can lead to some very interesting choices and has taken us to some beautiful villages we would never otherwise have seen.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Thirdly, I have a motorcycle sat-nav, and used it on a jaunt through Normandy and Brittany. It was like seeing into the future. Before you got to a section of road you would know how bendy it was, whether there was a village, or roundabout, etc, and therefore how much fun you could have. You could set your entry speed before you got to the road knowing how sharp the bends would be, and you could see whether it was worth overtaking a vehicle or two so you could have uninterrupted fun on a twisty section or whether you might as well stay in the traffic. It was local knowledge by proxy.

This applies to cars too. COMAND was great for advance notice of hairpin bends in the Italian Alps earlier this year, especially shooting up the Stelvio Pass.

I leave my COMAND sat nav on all the time, even when on regular journeys. The traffic information is invaluable - I only ignored 'er in the dashboard once!

On long trips that I haven't done before I'll use paper and Internet maps to plot an approximate route first, then "persuade" the sat nav to take me that way.

 

[boxbrownie]

If you are in no hurry try selecting "shortest" route rather than "quickest". it can lead to some very interesting choices and has taken us to some beautiful villages we would never otherwise have seen.

I like taking the shortest routes a lot of the time, with some common sense thrown in for good measure, last Friday we took the ML into Alex Crow at Stowmarket for a service, we wanted to go home via Braintree so loaded "shortest route" and not only did we drive through some beautiful villages and countryside but avoided the dreaded A14/A12 on the way home......

As an aside, Alex was great, very efficient and about half the cost of a main stealer, also we had time to take the train into Norwich for a bit of mooching and lunch, only thirty minutes on the train and another pleasant journey.

 

[Billigmeister]

i think they are very useful but they do make for lazy drivers (me being one). I am less inclined to do proper planning on a new route if i have a sat nav.

that said it does reduce stress i find, especially with my wife who thinks she is excellent at directions and believes she is always right etc. It has saved many many arguements between the two of us as i just plump for what the sat nav says and cruise along.

it might not always be the perfect route but it is a lot less stressfull for me!

 

[BTB 500]

Haven't used a road atlas in anger since I got a TomTom about 8 years ago. It runs for around 4 hours on the internal battery so for most trips it doesn't even need external power. I do keep an atlas in each vehicle, as a backup.

 

[gento55]

I use the sat nav on my e class quite a lot but the fact it does not take the full post code is bloody annoying its not half as good as the Tom Tom that i use in my van

 

[cinek]

Not sure why I have the Command as I never use it.

Tom Tom on other hand, gets switched on the second I get in the car. Don't use it for route finding so much, unless its a new destination I have not been to yet.
What I find absolutely invaluable, are the live traffic updates which 99% of time are bang on the money.

Not something command can match.

 

[Dieselman]

If you don't use SatNav, how are you meant to get home from the pub when pi$$ed?

 

[Dieselman]

I've been finding my SatNav invaluable recently as I've been going to new destinations, frequently including Central London.

 

[Darrell]

I used everyday when I was back here 2 years ago and it always, without fail, got me to my destination. Some of the routes were a little odd but I got there in the end.

It even got me to from Ruislip to Skiathos 8 years without any fuss.

It is an 8 year old Garmin Nuvi. Super piece of kit.

 

[Dieselman]

It even got me to from Ruislip to Skiathos 8 years without any fuss.

Was that walking?

 

[cinek]

Dunno, I don't go to pubs and don't get pi$$ed

 

[Darrell]

Was that walking?

I left a word out.
Stupid ipad.

 

[PenelopePitstop]

Becker Map took me on a field trip once. Luckily road was ok and no damage to the car. I must have missed road sign saying no traffic. This field road is behind the house I'm renting now, I was checking it out. Becker is still sending me there from time to time but not every time which is strange.

Garmin tends to send me on small roads but I rarely use it now, mainly on holiday. I alway check maps before going somewhere so I know where I'm going more or less.

I drove rented Kia yesterday and it didn't have my house address at all and it's not new address. BMW Navigation was ok.

 

[artyman]

They can be dangerous!! Asked the missus was it a right or left turn, next thing the car was on it's roof, only gone and turned the Satnav upside down to read it!

 

[kianok]

I bought a Mio sat nav for my trips to Portugal, including European maps.....

A blind map reader would have been more useful.

Also, why do so many people stick them right in front of their face on their windscreen?


Surely thats not legal?

 

[Troon]

Also, why do so many people stick them right in front of their face on their windscreen? Surely thats not legal?

Because many people have no idea of the potential consequences of blocking a part of their field of view; and yes, not legal.

 

[brucemillar]

Well here in Kent their is much debate over the merits (or not) of Sat Nav.

The main issue is with "Foreign"Lorry Drivers arriving into Kent totally reliant on SatNav. They get wedged in Lanes, Villages, under trees, in fields all sorts. It is not uncommon tho have reports of old houses having corners knocked off by SatNav driven trucks.
Once into a lane they prefer the risk of advancing forwards as opposed to revering out at the entrance to their demise. This quite often leads to major works and road closures, while trailers are un-hitched, tyres are deflated etc and in some instances cabs are dragged just to get them out.

More and more villagers are taking to constructing their own signage, frustrated at a lack of action from the Highways agency or local government to come up with any cohesive strategy regarding signage.

The other issue is that lot's of these drivers speak not a single word of English. So trying to get them to help themselves is almost impossible.