Example #4,239 why sat-nav isn't always to be trusted
Anyone who uses a satnav regularly knows the feeling of looking at the directions being given – or actually trying to follow them – and wondering "WTF?" Try an experiment and plug one of your regular destinations into your satnav and see what it spit out; seven times out of ten you'll wonder "Why would it tell me to go that way?"
A driver in England has once again followed the instructions from his car's GPS system as if he were Abraham heeding instructions from The Almighty. Headed to a friend's house, the driver was told by his GPS to go up a steep walking path, and he did so. Luckily the path was lined by a fence, because when the driver crested a hill, he slid down the path and into the fence, which stopped him from going over a 100-foot cliff.
Fortunately, he was unhurt, although charged with careless driving. Never forget: trust your good sense before you trust your satnav...
[Source: The MIrror]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KeatMP 7:42PM (3/25/2009)
I haven't had hardly any issues with satnav systems I've delt with, but you would have to a few bricks short of a load to drive your BMW down a steep walk path following every directive from that screen on your dash.
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Harrison 9:34PM (3/25/2009)
"...you would have to a few bricks short of a load to drive your BMW down a steep walk path following every directive from that screen on your dash."
Well...he is a BMW owner...
kballs 9:51PM (3/25/2009)
They must have really bad map data in the rest of the world. The US does have (at least as far as paved roads goes) good map data provided by government services (department of the interior, USGS, state/county/city GiS systems, etc.). However, there are definately roads absent from the maps (GPS or paper) simply because they are new. I have yet to encounter a GPS or paper map that showed a road where there was a trail/building/lake/cliff/nothing there... but if I did I wouldn't "step into the abyss" like a dumbass, I'd keep on driving and let the [smart] GPS [with dumb maps] recalculate new directions.
There must be some human psychological condition that makes people blindly follow directions... oh yeah, we're raised from birth to obey the authorities or face the consequences. Sometimes there are consequences for obeying.
superman211 10:44PM (3/25/2009)
Yeah that, or just a regular 525 driver.
Epyx 7:45PM (3/25/2009)
Didnt this happen on "The Office"?
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Alex 7:54PM (3/25/2009)
yes they drove into a lake
superman211 10:44PM (3/25/2009)
Yep, went fishing.
The Luigiian 7:46PM (3/25/2009)
Now see, this is why I prefer to drive a Wrangler everywhere I go. In case something goes wrong, you can always drive a Wrangler into a wall. Hell, it could probably off-road down the cliff, and that's assuming its sat-nav would mess up. In fact, that's assuming Wranglers had satnav.
Ok, just joking, but seriously, how stupid do you have to be to go up a steep walking path--in a BMW no less? I mean, surely somebody with a little car with no ground clearance would realize taking a dirt road over a paved one wasn't such a bright idea and would second-guess the obviously-questionable advice of the sat-nav... right? No, apparently not. (_ _ )
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Mark Goddard 7:51AM (3/26/2009)
Well, if he's stupid enough to drive a 5 Series, he's stupid enough to do this.
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ambientFLIER 9:41PM (3/25/2009)
...but apparently not as stupid as your comment.
Edmond Dantes 8:21AM (3/26/2009)
Don't be mad you can't afford one.
Mark Goddard 9:16AM (3/26/2009)
That doesn't concern me at all. I'd have a Lexus anyway.
kal326 8:29PM (3/25/2009)
Conner was right, the machines are trying to kill us....
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Josh 8:33PM (3/25/2009)
Something about having more money than brains...
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Mobius_1 8:35PM (3/25/2009)
BMW - Beyond Mud and Walls.
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jfrolang 8:51PM (3/25/2009)
Who's the cartographer putting walking trails and driveways on the UK nav maps?
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wasabi 9:02PM (3/25/2009)
Brilliant that he was cited for being an idiot. Had this happened in the U.S. I'm sure the nav manufacturer would be getting a court date.
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chad.dawkins 11:38PM (3/25/2009)
Seriously, I'm glad he/she was further punished for being a dumbass.
Nuieve 9:19PM (3/25/2009)
All these incidents only appear to be happening in the U.K. Hmmm... I wonder why...
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John B 10:51PM (3/25/2009)
Because they drive on the left side of the road. A few more feet and a Darwin would be in order.