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Drivers Blames Sat Nav For Fatal Wrong Turn In Fog
Article by: rob brady
Date: 18 Dec 2012
The Leicester Mercury reports that a motorist that followed his sat nav incorrectly, ended up driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway causing a fatal head on collision.
At his trial, the 30 year old driver from Rotherham, David Driver denies causing the death of 44 year old James Richmond's death by dangerous driving in March last year.
Driver allegedly went past two no-entry signs and onto the wrong carriageway at the A46 Dalby Interchange. Prosecutor Michael Auty, said Driver crossed into lane two, nearest the central reservation.
Immediately following the accident, the accused told police he was following his sat nav.
Mr Auty stated, "A sat nav system cannot be, and isn't, a substitute for common sense and using your eyes." The trial is still in progress.
Source
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 Posted by TieJustice on Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:25 am |
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Guilty.
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| Posted by TVR_nut on Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:58 am |
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A "situational awareness" course would be more to the point here - teach the driver to use his eyes and look out the window! 
Whatever the satnav (or wife/back-seat driver etc) says, the driver has the ultimate responsibility for his or her driving, and should trust their eyes more than the satnav. That said, I would be very surprised if a satnav would direct you the wrong way up a dual carriageway!!
N.
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| Posted by GerryC on Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:30 pm |
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Looking at the road on StreetView, it doesn't look right to me. There are "turn left ahead" signs for the dual carriageway and the no entry signs are barely visible in good light never mind fog.
Really, the turn ahead signs are unnecessary and misleading (you keep left now not turn later - and certainly not after veering right). There should be a "keep left" sign on the island instead.
Streetview
The satnav would have told him to turn right a couple of times to get to this position then left him to his own devices. It's not really significant though.
Gerry
Gerry
TomTom730T
Cameralert for Android
Brodit ProClip mount |
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| Posted by peecee on Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:40 pm |
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The junction as a whole looks like it needs rebuilding. Most of the grass verges have tyre marks on them.
Some satnavs might very well assume you're already on the dual carriageway when you're within 50ft of it and thus direct you to head a certain direction.
I get that from time to time when the positioning is a little off and it thinks you're on the other side of the road or on an adjacent road and it then barks new orders out.
The vast majority of people like myself simply ignore false commands but you have to agree that a very small minority of people WILL respond to such commands.
Does this make them an offender? I guess that's for the justice system to argue.
People are people and with technology and cars mixing together more and more I imagine only an increase in 'stupidity' related accidents.
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| Posted by DJ_Chalky on Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:51 pm |
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It's a shame that society is becoming more and more stupid and incapable of employing common sense.
Sat Navs will probably have to have an agreement on the screen every time you turn it on that will make you tap to show you understand that it's supposed to be Sat Nav PLUS common sense and not to follow it to the letter.
It can go along with other sign-age to prevent stupidity and prevent the suing culture such as "This product may contain nuts" on a packet of peanuts and "For use on oral lips only" on certain lip balm products.
I find myself feeling depressed at how society has become.
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| Posted by sickgit on Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:00 pm |
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One I use quite often, though never felt like dicing it up by trying out the "right turn clyde!"
No signs at all on it either.
http://goo.gl/maps/1I6sI
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| Posted by M8TJT on Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:16 pm |
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What about the big blue and white 'Keep Left' sign in the middle of the road, the straight on arrow in the middle of your carriageway and the 'keep out' hatching down the middle. Enough clues?
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| Posted by sussamb on Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:23 pm |
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Looking at the whole of both junctions, the white linings and the signs it seems pretty clear to me ... and would be even in poor visibilty.
Where there's a will ... there's a way. |
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| Posted by Birdman on Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:37 pm |
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[quote="DJ_Chalky"]
Sat Navs will probably have to have an agreement on the screen every time you turn it on ........
My Jag built-in SatNav already has an "I agree" button whenever it's switched on.
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| Posted by electech320ci on Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:39 pm |
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I was in the South of France 2 years ago using a TomTom 740 and was returning back to where i was staying when the sat nav told me to turn right which I did, only to find out I was going the wrong way up a slip road onto an Autoroute.
Thankfully I realised at the last moment that something was wrong and slammed on the brakes ( I was doing over 60 mph at this time and still accelerating ).
The road that I should have been on was right next to the slip road and it was very easy to make a mistake, thankfully it was about 10 in the evening and the Autoroute was quiet.
But what if i had met someone coming off the Autoroute, someone could have been killed.
The headlines in the local newspapers would have read "British holidaymaker goes wrong way on a Motorway"
Yes I was in the wrong but my defence would have been that I was only following the Satnav.
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| Posted by sussamb on Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:42 pm |
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[quote="Birdman"] | DJ_Chalky Wrote: |
Sat Navs will probably have to have an agreement on the screen every time you turn it on ........
My Jag built-in SatNav already has an "I agree" button whenever it's switched on. |
So does my Garmin ... I have to 'assume full responsibilty and risk' ... but then I do that when I get in my car and drive off, seems some drivers don't understand that if some of the errors/comments outlined above are to go by
Where there's a will ... there's a way. |
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