Younger Drivers Lost Without Satnav
Date: Friday, April 19 @ 04:14:24 UTC
Topic:
A study carried out by University College London suggests that using a sat nav "switches off" the parts of our brain that are responsible for memory and navigation and makes navigating using only road signs and traditional maps more difficult. This means you are far less likely to be able to remember a route without relying on technology.
Unsurprisingly few young people would feel confident relying on road signs and a paper map to navigate. In fairness that was a skill that few even of those of us old enough to remember driving pre-satnav could say we truly excelled at.
However it does seem that there is a big difference between being guided by a map and road signs and relying entirely on a satnav. We don't appear to make mental notes of landmarks and other visual references in the way we used to, a sort of mental breadcrumb trail.
Whether this will turn out to be a serious issue in time remains to be seen. There are occasional reports of people heading off into mountain ranges wholly unprepared and with only a smartphone to guide them but in reality a satnav has allowed many to venture further with confidence and it has to be safer that trying to glance at a paper map on the passenger seat or the inevitable row with your nearest and dearest/navigator!
Source: verdict.co.uk
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