Till the Cows Navigate Home
Articles like this get under my skin a little bit. GPS devices are far from perfect– there is no denying that. However when you hear stories about someone ending up on a 4×4 trail because their GPS told them too, a comment is often made that it wouldn’t have happened if the driver had a paper map with them.
Sen-Sgt Incoll said motorists should always carry a map to check their route. “That’s why I’ve taken the time to try and let the public know that they’re a fantastic bit of IT but they need to be accompanied by a physical map”
To me, that statement is just incorrect. The data on the paper map isn’t likely to be any different. What will be different is that the driver will check the route. Checking the route the GPS provides, just like you would do with a paper map, will likely keep you out of trouble. Not to mention a little common sense that if a road is six feet wide with muddy ruts you probably shouldn’t follow the GPS’s directions.
