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Motorists prefer printed maps to sat navs, survey finds

A survey has revealed that older drivers use sat-navs less than any other demographic. It also revealed that most motorists still prefer printed maps rather than relying on a sat nav to plan their car journeys. 

According to the survey, 63 per cent of the 23,824 drivers polled have used a printed map in the last six months, while 60 per cent, overall, have used an in-car sat nav.

On the whole, just 17 per cent of drivers rely on a sat nav alone when driving. Younger drivers, aged betwen 18 and 24, tended to be more trusting of the electronic gadgets, 43 per cent of them resorting to sat-nav use as their only means of guidance. 

Indeed, the survey also found that 11 per cent plan their journeys with a map and take written instructions with them, while only 5 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds do this. The poll also revealed that 1 per cent never travel far enough to need a map or sat nav. 

Mike Parker, the author of Mapping the Roads, said: “The story of Britain’s road development is also the story of it’s political, economical, and social history… the car has shaped our landscape and changed our maps.” 

He added: “Technology has brought us in-car navigation systems to make getting around without a human navigator far easier.”

Parker, quite rightly, reiterated the fact that numerous people often find themselves going in completely the wrong direction or driving on roads that are inappropriate for their vehicles — much like the woman who blindly followed her sat-nav through six countries

So which do you prefer for navigation? The sat nav or the trusty old fashioned map? Let us know by posting in the comments below. 

 

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