Road Safety
SatNav Users Warned not to be an April's Fool
31, Mar 2012 - 06:54

SatNav systems can be a blessing for many drivers, allowing them to find their way from A to B without getting lost or stuck in traffic. Unfortunately, young drivers are risking their lives and the lives of others, by engaging in a 'beat the clock' challenge, where they look to trim minutes off their SatNav estimated journey times.

It seems that whilst this dangerous game is most commonly played by young drivers, middle aged drivers as well as some pensioners also put themselves in a deadly game of 'Human Vs Machine'.

Whilst the percentage of pensioners playing this game is substantially lower than that of young people, efforts should be made to address this problem and warn people of all ages that the game could result in serious injuries and/or fatalities.

The warning comes after Gardai have expressed serious concern over a rise in road deaths in the west over the past two years which runs contrary to the downward trend nationally. Single-vehicle crashes involving male drivers in random locations constituted the largest number of fatalities in the region last year, overall deaths in the region had risen from a low in 2010. Of the 35 deaths on Irish roads so far this year, 13 were in the west and seven were in the Galway area. Speeding in 80 km/h and 100 km/h zones has been identified as a major factor in fatalities in the west.

Noel Gibbons Road safety Officer said "But the point we were trying to get across is that when you speed, you are putting yourself and others at risk. It's not just about avoiding penalty points for speeding, it's about driving safer at all times. We also want to create a saver environment for other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians to encourage smarter travel".