11/04/2008

• Nearly a third of sat nav owners have been directed the wrong way
• One in 10 motorists quarrel with passengers over the sat nav

Satellite navigation systems (sat navs) may have been heralded as the must-have motoring gadget to prevent problems with map-reading, but it seems the days of barneys with the 'other half' over road directions are far from over

Rather than solving in-car quarrels, research by Churchill Car Insurance reveals one in ten (10%) of Britain's 13 million* sat nav users have argued with another passenger about the sat nav itself. The research shows that disagreements about the suggested route, the choice of sat nav voice or who should be in charge of the gadget cause major arguments to flare up.

Furthermore, almost one in four (22%) sat nav owners admit they shout at the gadget itself as a result of sheer frustration over botched directions.

It seems the number of in-car arguments and motorists driven to distraction by sat nav systems is wholly justified, as nearly a third (29%) of motorists have been directed down an unsuitable road by the gadget. This includes lanes that are too narrow for road vehicles, low bridges or even dead-ends.

A fifth of drivers (20%) have turned the machine off entirely as a result of being directed on a wrong route. Other motorists have resorted to asking passers-by for directions because they didn't trust their sat nav's suggested route (6%).

Tony Chilcott, Head of Churchill Car Insurance, says: "It seems that sat navs are clearly not as problem-free as many motorists initially anticipated. Not being in control of the route of a journey can cause in-car tensions about the best way to get from A to B."

The study further reveals women get more enraged by sat navs than men, with nearly a quarter of women (24%) describing their sat nav as annoying compared to just 17% of men. Women are also more likely to turn the gadget off if it sent them the wrong way (22%) compared to men (18%).

Tony Chilcott continues: "The research reinforces the importance of always having a back up plan and not relying entirely on the sat nav to get to destinations swiftly and safely. Drivers should always carry a map in the car for reference, ensure they plan their journey in advance and listen out for traffic hotspots and potential problems on the roads."

-Ends-

For more information please contact:

RBS Insurance Press Office
Tel: 0208 285 3277

Notes for Editors

* Research carried out online by Opinium Research LLP amongst 2003 UK adults between 7th and 11th March 2008.
39% of motorists own or use a GPS Sat Nav system (39% of 33.3 million motorists in the UK [RAC Foundation 2007]= 12,987,000.

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