Motorists rely on phone for sat-nav duties
Nearly a fifth of Britain’s motorists are shunning dedicated navigation devices in favour of their mobile phone’s sat-nav function, running the risk of receiving a police fine and penalty points.
A survey of 1,991 drivers conducted by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk found that 18.3% of motorists said they relied on their phone’s ‘maps’ function whilst driving.
The poll’s findings also suggested that a third of sat-navs are sat around gathering dust; 64% of respondents said they owned a sat-nav, but only 41% ever used it.
There has been much debate over using mobile phones behind the wheel (namely from our very own Al Suttie) but as the law stands, motorists caught using a mobile phone or PDA device while driving can expect to be issued three driving licence penalty points and a £60 fine.
Motorists could even end up in court if a police officer deems the offence so extreme that a fixed penalty fine is inadequate, or because the driver refuses to accept the fixed penalty.
In contrast, it’s not illegal to use hands-free phones or sat-navs while driving. However, motorists could still face the punishment if the police believe the driver is not in proper control of the vehicle.
Obsolete
Despite being a relatively recent arrival in the marketplace, over half of Britons reckon that sat-nav system could be completely obsolete as soon as 2020.
Mark Pearson, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, advised motorists that it was worth keeping hold of their sat-navs anyway.
He said: “It’s quite surprising to find out how many people are no longer using sat-navs, although I suppose with advances in App technology, it was only a matter of time before sat-nav apps equalled the quality of an actual sat-nav.
“However, it’s interesting to find out that people who already have a sat-nav are using their phones instead, purely because it’s ‘easier’ and it updates itself. Whilst remembering do update your sat-nav can be a bit of a pain, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s useless. ”
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