December 2008 Car News - GBCarLoans.com

27th December 2008

Sat-nav is favourite for more than half of AA members

The sat-nav seems is the must-have device for drivers this Christmas. Two-fifths of AA members polled already have one and 54% of these believe it to be the best device they have ever had in their car, according to a new AA Populus poll of 7380 members.

If you was one of the lucky members who got a new sat-nav for Christmas you can look forward to:
- not getting lost - 61% of respondents agreed that their sat-nav had prevented them from getting lost on numerous occassions.
- it's there when you need it - 44% said they use it very frequently.
- Almost half the people polled said they are worried that it might get stolen the other half did not find this a worry.
- 30% of respondents say that their sat nav has taken them to a place that they did not want to go, 44% disagreed
- 75 % of poeple polled who had a sat nav said they still carried a road atlas just incase.
- 22% of respondents agree that their sat-nav sometimes distracts them when they are driving.
- 38% of respondents with a sat-nav preferred to hear a female voice to a male voice there was 44% who really didn't mind either way.

AA comment

Commenting, Edmund King, AA president, said: "Satellite Navigation systems are brilliant devices if used safely. A majority of those that have them think they are the best in-car device ever. These devices can enhance safety by reassuring drivers they are on the right route. Often roads are poorly signed so the sat-nav helps as a guide.

"However, the road atlas is still alive and well. We recommend that every driver should have an atlas to back up the sat-nav. You don't want to end up in Stratford, East London if you really wanted the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon."

AA survey results found that:

- Drivers in Yorkshire and Humberside and the NW were most likely to have a sat-nav (46%) and those in Scotland least likely (30%)
- It was much more likely that men would have a sat nav rather than women, with almost half (47%) owning one compared to less than one-in-three women (30%)
- 18 to 24 year olds were the people most likely to have a Sat Nav, (43%)
- The age group least likely to own one were those aged 25 to 34 (38%)
- Drivers in Northern Ireland were least likely to say that sat-nav had prevented them getting lost countless times (50%) and those in London Wales and East Anglia most likely (64%)

The AA's sat-nav tips

1. Don't let the Sat Nav distract you. If you have an accident or commit an offence, it's your fault
2. Don't take a road just because the sat nav say's to, what you see through the windscreen must take priority over what the satnav says. If the road doesn't look suitable, don't use it.
3. If you can tell your sat nav what kind of vehicle you are driving then it's best to do so, it could save you valuable time. There's no point using a road that is not suitaqble for your particular vehicle.
4. Put the satnav in a sensible place. Don't create a blind spot, or put it where it could cause injury
5. Don't try to programme the satnav while you are driving. Do it while you are stationary, you know it will take one hand from the wheel, two eyes from the road and a brain from driving
6. Use all the satnav's features. When driving gets complicated, use the spoken instructions, and/or the simplest display
7. Update the satnav regularly. Old information can be wrong information
8. Remember, thieves like satnavs! If it is detachable, always take it out when you leave the car. Suction cap marks are tell tale signs that attract thieves.

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