Oct/Nov 2006

Reliance on satellite navigation systems could be having an adverse effect on the ability of young people to read maps. That's the conclusion of a survey conducted this autumn by ICM for the RAC, and it's backed up by some remarkable findings.

For instance, more than 16 per cent of motorists under 35 didn't know which direction they'd be travelling in if they were driving from Birmingham to Nottingham, and over a third didn't recognise the symbol for a level crossing on a map.

Fourteen per cent of all drivers admitted they'd never used a traditional road map - a figure that rose to 20 per cent for drivers aged under 35. Indeed, 26 per cent of this age group said they didn't carry a road map in their vehicle.

RAC adds that almost two thirds of younger drivers didn't know that an A-road is red on a what it calls a "standard road map" - although they might be forgiven for this one, considering that on an AA map the colour is green.

So how do all these drivers find their way around? Half said they depend on online route planners to get from A to B, and the figure was 61 per cent among the techno-savvy under-35s. Even among older drivers, satnav was gaining popularity. Nineteen per cent of 55 to 64-year-olds were installing systems.

David Tansley, a technology partner at Deloitte, confirms the trend. He says his organisation predicts that sales of integrated GPS equipment for cars will double from the current 6 million a year to 12 million units by 2010. Handheld units are expected to sell in similar volume, he says.

What is the RAC's own view? Adam Cracknell of RAC Direct Insurance accepts that technology makes life easier. "Route planners and satellite navigation systems can be a real benefit, and using satnav can even reduce insurance premiums," he says, but he adds: "It shouldn't make us complacent. Map reading is a really indispensable skill, and investing in a good map is never a bad idea."

* RAC itself does offer an in-vehicle satnav device, which is available exclusively through Woolworths at £199. It runs under Microsoft Windows CE.Net 4.2 core, and comes pre-loaded with Britain and Ireland maps.