The curse of Sat-Nav

FARMERS and land-owners have yet another worry this Christmas: the boom in satellite navigation systems for cars - because thousands more bewildered motorists might find themselves stranded on country tracks or even in farmyards!

With spending on satellite navigation systems expected to top £80M this Christmas, an increase of 60% on last year according to media reports, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is concerned that inaccuracies in mapping systems will cause further misery for its members.

The CLA receives many calls from property owners frustrated by an increasing amount of traffic being routed along narrow lanes, into farmyards and along often dangerous or private roads.

The organisation is therefore calling on the manufacturers and software systems to work together and provide a single contact point for mistakes to be logged, allowing all manufacturers to update their systems.

This, says the CLA, would benefit everyone: the manufacturers who would improve the accuracy of their product, the users who are often put in dangerous situations by the mistakes, and the people annoyed with deliveries intended for someone else arriving at their door, or people asking for directions or traffic arriving in their farmyard.

The problem is getting worse as drivers rely totally on their satellite navigation systems

Carole Hodgson - CLA

Caroline Bedell, the CLA's national access adviser says the problem is getting noticeably worse with the increasing reliance on Sat Nav, She says:" We are receiving an increasing amount of calls from Members who are just plain fed up with a constant stream of visitors sent to their property by mistake.

"This causes annoyance and can even be dangerous and cause damage to property as some of the routes suggested are along unmade tracks, across fords or even towards cliffs. We would also urge users of Sat Nav to report problems to the manufactures on routes recommended by their systems so that they can be resolved.

Carole Hodgson, assistant regional director CLA North said; "The problem is getting worse as drivers rely totally on their satellite navigation systems. Applying a little common sense rather than just keeping going and getting stuck, will avoid people getting into problems.

"Trying to take a short cut down a narrow country lane invariably does not save time. It is in the best interests of the providers of Sat Nav and mapping software that their products are accurate otherwise the government may well have to look at regulations to make it happen."