Do you use sat nav while driving? If so...

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Wed 29 Sep 2010 10:07
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - captain chaos

...can you tell me what mindset you adopt while doing so please?

http://tinyurl.com/2usbu3p

With apologies to fredthefifth ; )

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Wed 29 Sep 2010 10:56
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - veryoldbear

I am pleased to note that he stopped and parked before using his mobile phone.

Chuckle.

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Wed 29 Sep 2010 12:26
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - Armstrong Sid
So who's going to be the one who starts a thread titled "Do you use your brain whilst driving? If so..."
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Wed 29 Sep 2010 18:43
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - a900ss

I use one most of the time and yet 90% of the time I know where I'm going.

Reasons for using one:

Traffic updates go into the Sat-Nav. Whilst not totally accurate, i can use them as a guide.

Speed Camera/Red Camera alerts. Yes, I do have eyes. No I don't drive everywhere at 100MPH. It's just nice to have an audio reminder

To find POI's (Points of Interest) - Food stops, ATM's, Supermarkets (I work in the food industry)

Well those are my reasons anyway. Oh and for navigation where I don't know where I am...

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Wed 29 Sep 2010 19:28
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - veryoldbear

They are very useful in Belgium, because everywhere has two names (French and Flemish versions) and they don't admit the existence of anywhere over the border in France or the Netherlands ...

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 18:12
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - colinh
"They are very useful in Belgium, because everywhere has two names"

I live in a bi-lingual area of Spain, and with my Garmin in some places the names of the villages change from castellano ("Spanish") to gallego (Galician) depending on the zoom ratio being displayed.

Can lead to a bit of "pot-luck" when searching for a destination, as you're not sure which name is in the database - sometimes both!
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Wed 29 Sep 2010 20:52
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - Pondlife
They can be useful if you know the route but don't know all the surroundings in case you have to make a detour.
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Wed 29 Sep 2010 21:56
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - Avant

A lot of the problems like coaches and vans getting stuck in country lanes happen because people selsct 'shortest route' rather than 'quickest'. 'Shortest' takes you as the crow files, and crows don't have that problem.

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Thu 30 Sep 2010 01:21
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - Rob C

Agree with the above.

Also, using POI overlays that are based on Postcodes can cause trouble, when the creator of the POI file doesn't actually check the details of each postcode.

I will admit to one very odd error while driving in Newcastle. I had never been in this area before and was trying to get to the council buildings on time for a meeting. Sat-nav was telling me to turn right at a mini roundabout ahead. At some point it must have been removed because the road was a traffic lighted cross junction. There was an oncoming car but I turned right, across its path because for some reason I thought I had right of way on a roundabout that didn't exist. A bit of headlight flashing ensued.

I still can't believe I did it, but there you go.

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Thu 30 Sep 2010 13:37
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - fredthefifth

>> With apologies to fredthefifth ; )

It's ok, I can handle it ;-)

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 16:35
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - oldgit
I am beginning to wonder, after only a fortnight's ownership, whether my purchase was worthwhile. I bought, as a plaything really, a TomTom XL 'Live' IQ routes.

Admittedly, I'm testing it over routes and journeys with which I am very familiar but I do ask myself why, oh why does is keep on suggesting routes that involve so many narrow country lanes and such lanes that I would never take because of their narrowness, bends etc. etc. They're fine for me as I know them, generally speaking but for complete strangers it is a complete nonsense
This routing occurs whether I use 'Fastest' or 'Shortest' routes, to some degree.

Yesterday, as an example, I was sitting in one of my favourite pubs alongside the A25 in Bletchingley (Surrey) and upon leaving set it to take me home to Bromley (my destination) some 16 miles away. The planned routes told me, within a 100yds or so to take a country lane/s which led all over the place and which would involve pulling in frequently to let oncoming traffic pass i.e a thorough irritation.
The obvious journey to anyone with a map (and a stranger) would be to follow the A25 through Godstone, Oxted (bypass), Westerham, Biggin Hill and Bromley. All major A and B roads.
There is another alternative using the A25/A22 and then more minor roads to go through Sanderstead, Selsdon etc.
But why does TT keep on choosing roads that I'd steer well clear of?

Most disappointed, to be honest.
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Mon 18 Oct 2010 20:22
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - dieseldogg

Ha!

Oldgit, an application of the latest technology

It knew ye were in the pub, and required a discreet route home.

Hic

M

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 21:53
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - fredthefifth

oldgit, do you select shortest route or quickest route? Its not perfect but in my experience with TT the shortest will often take you down the lanes, quickest *generally* sticks to the main roads.

It is agood idea to practice on roads you know though because they definitely have their idiosyncrasies and if I've spelt that right its a miracle!

In my experience its in that last mile or so that Sat Nav's they come into their own.

FTF

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 22:32
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - oldgit

oldgit, do you select shortest route or quickest route? Its not perfect but in my experience with TT the shortest will often take you down the lanes, quickest *generally* sticks to the main roads.

It is agood idea to practice on roads you know though because they definitely have their idiosyncrasies and if I've spelt that right its a miracle!

In my experience its in that last mile or so that Sat Nav's they come into their own.

FTF

Always the fastest route (or whatever the wording is. It doesn't seem to matter which I choose. There was another example where the narrowest country lane was chosen as a route from Cudham (after visting another pub again) to Sevenoaks in Kent. Here the TT choses a lane barely wider than my car and is a road I have not negotiated since my Austin Healey Sprites days.
With my TT, I have 'blocked' that particular lane but really it is all nonsensical when you have prior knowledge of these roads but to a stranger driving in the Cudham area, heaven help you if you're using a satnav and are quided to go down Cackett Lane (No, not Clacket Lane) near or on the M25!!

I realise now that they have their uses when entering an unfamiliar area or town/city.

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Tue 19 Oct 2010 14:52
Do you use sat nav while driving? If so... - Ethan Edwards

>I realise now that they have their uses when entering an unfamiliar area or town/city.

You bet. Not only can you find your destination but they give you ample warning of the 'Greed sCamera' locations that your not going to know about. Avoid just one invoice from the 'Greed sCamera Pratnership' and it's paid for itself.

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