Men better than women at ignoring satnav when it gives wrong directions

Add to My Stories
Women are more likely than men to obey a satellite navigation system even when it gives wrong directions.Thats the finding of a survey published today that says Britains drivers are falling out of love with their satnavs.Drivers say that on average they are sent nearly six miles astray by untrustworthy, inaccurate navigation devices, also identified by the poll as a major cause of in-car bickering.

Lost: Eighty per cent of drivers say they have defied their satnavsEight out of ten drivers (79 per cent) say they have defied directions provided by satnavs, perceiving them to be incorrect or less efficient than an alternative way of reaching their destinations.And nearly two thirds of drivers (63 per cent) keep a just in case map in their vehicles, according to the study of 3,000 motorists by the insurance firm Swinton. In many cases, drivers are right not to trust their satnavs, says the survey.Motorists say that when satnav directions are incorrect, the average distance they have been guided away from their intended destination is 5.9 miles.

More...

• Soaring cost of fuel cuts traffic jams by 20%

More than a third say their device has led them one to five miles away; a fifth claim they have been led six to ten miles astray; and 4 per cent have ended up more than 21 miles from the desired address.

The survey does little to dispel the sexist view that women can't read maps
The research also showed men are more rebellious than women when it comes to ignoring a satnav instruction. Some 83 per cent of men say they regularly defy the suggested directions, against 74 per cent of women. More than half of motorists say they have argued with a fellow passenger over satnav directions, and 60 per cent of women admit to starting the a! rgument.