Driving with satellite navigation

In a breakdown, the batteries running out, leaving you stranded with an unintelligible map is not the only problem. Like maps, your satnav can soon become out-dated. New roads are being built all the time, and traffic systems such as one-way streets and dead-ends are constantly changing. To avoid being taken down a blind alley by your satnav, download updates from your computer at least once a month.

Don't assume satnav knows best

Even with an updated satnav, you should be careful not to follow it blindly. There are numerous stories of people getting stuck in flooded streets or driving onto railway lines after following the instructions given by their satnav. In the Hampshire village of Exton, residents have even resorted to putting up roadside signs warning drivers to ignore their satnav systems, which send a constant stream of people through the hamlet only to find the lane narrows to 6ft and they get stuck (source: www.bbc.co.uk).

Use common sense, and if you have doubts about the route you are being taken, turn around and try another one. And keep an up-to-date map in the car as back-up, just in case - if you still know how to read one, that is.