Even when I know the route like the back of my hand I still use GPS. Why? Because if there’s any variation in the route, such as due to construction or a parade, I’m no longer 100% sure of how to get where I’m going, and a driver that doesn’t know where they’re going in is one of the more dangerous things on the road IMO.
Whether being unsure of where you going translates to being danger is entirely a matter of attitude. If you blast over lanes when you spot an exit late, then that’s dangerous, but you can also just… not do that, and accept that you’ll go the wrong way sometimes.
In my case, it’s dangerous because I’m suddenly distracted from the road by trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be going in the immediate moment. I’m on the spectrum, and on-the-fly changes of plan spike my anxiety - nothing I can do about that except work around it. That isn’t a personal fault, I’m keeping myself and other people safer on the road.
So I’m gonna keep using the GPS even when I know where I’m going, that way if I realise I’m gonna miss my exit I don’t panic and instead can keep going with the confidence that the GPS will re-route me and I’ll have time to be in the correct lane for the next one.
I use my GPS every day on my way home from work. I know the route very well, but 10% of the time, the highway gets a crazy amount of traffic; and you can’t tell it’s backed up until you get on it. My GPS knows though. It saves me 30 extra minutes every time it happens and I just take the back roads.
Being not 100% certain of something isn’t dangerous if you have critical thinking skills. It sounds like you fear what you can’t plan for, which is one of the dangerous side effects of people relying on technology like this. Unless you’re travelling in an area that you don’t frequent, how could you be surprised by construction or a parade, both of which are things that are announced weeks ahead of time?
I’m autistic and do not do well with a change of plans, especially under time pressure, but thanks so much for assuming that it’s because I lack “critical thinking skills” (which is not what that is, by the way) and taking the chance to insult me for working around my limitations.
When you grow up, you’ll learn that people are all different, and that supplementing one’s abilities with the tools available is not a weakness. I’m going to keep using the GPS even when I know where I’m going, not because I’m “overreliant on technology” or “afraid of things I haven’t planned for”, but because I’d like to keep myself and other people safe. I can’t help but feel that if everyone took this sort of attitude, we’d have far fewer collisions.
There’s a lot of roadworks around me that I never know about until I hit them. Are you monitoring websites for that or what? I’m sure a lot of the info is available somewhere but I think it’s reasonable to realise that a lot of people aren’t going to get it - especially when a satnav can automatically use that information.
Broadly speaking people following memorized or planned routes had some clearly dangerous stuff.
Like “I’m nowhere near the correct lane but that’s the exit I know to take so I’m going to get over there no matter what”. Sure I still see it happen, but people that feel good about the backup plan feel better that it’ll get them on track in a reasonably ok way. Yes, presumably the next exit you can turn around, but in some places that could be quite a distance and the gps is likely to sort out a less punishing route.
On the unusual circumstances, practically speaking that’s usually an accident or traffic. However plenty of times you have construction not announced in any way you are likely to know. If they are going to work on a major interstate then if possible they put up a big sign. If they are emergency repairing a pothole, you won’t have warning. Here the most recent parade was due to a celebration about three days after something happened to celebrate. Very little warning and I only knew if that because of listening to local news.
If you know your exit is coming up from memory why would you not already be in the correct lane? You’ve learned the route, you should be able to recognize when an exit is getting close. My concern with a gps is that it’s easy to get caught up in keeping track of traffic immediately around you, then get surprised when the gps says to take the next exit in half a mile because you didn’t know the road well enough to recognize the buildings/markers that it’s getting close, and you have gps so why bother looking at the actual signs.
If taking the next exit is an issue because it might take a while, then how does a gps figure out a shorter route? It’s literally the next exit, there is nowhere else to go before that exit, and if it’s taken a while to get there then the main road is almost certainly the fastest route back.
If I’m going somewhere for the first time in a while I will often check the gps before I leave to see if there’s construction or road closures because it can be helpful, but once I’ve confirmed there isn’t I close the gps and run off memory. One time a couple months ago I was driving down the freeway in the boonies and construction closed down a chunk of it. I started following the detour and got out of cell service range. Eventually there was another detour sign that directed my back toward the main road after the construction area. It was very helpful and also the norm when there is construction or events taking place, at least in my neck of the US.
I think gps can be a useful tool in the short term or to learn routes, but when I start talking about driving westbound on one of the largest freeways in the metro or point “that way” and my friend gives me a dull look because all they know is “turn left here” and “exit here,” it’s become a crutch. But I almost definitely put a higher value on knowing where I am and how to navigate than the average person does, and I don’t expect that to change, so it’s something I’ve come to (begrudgingly) accept.
I only knew if that because of listening to local news
Yes, that is how you learn about these things.
Wtf, I feel like you’re just describing people that don’t know how to exist without the internet. If you miss your exit, then you simply get off at the next one and double back.
What about the danger of someone looking at their satnav telling them to “exit now” and then they cross five lanes of traffic almost causing an accident to get to the “right” exit that satnav told them to take? The problems you’re describing have nothing to do with satnav or no satnav, you’re describing problems with people who lack critical thinking skills, which is dangerous regardless of how they’re navigating.
Even when I know the route like the back of my hand I still use GPS. Why? Because if there’s any variation in the route, such as due to construction or a parade, I’m no longer 100% sure of how to get where I’m going, and a driver that doesn’t know where they’re going in is one of the more dangerous things on the road IMO.
Whether being unsure of where you going translates to being danger is entirely a matter of attitude. If you blast over lanes when you spot an exit late, then that’s dangerous, but you can also just… not do that, and accept that you’ll go the wrong way sometimes.
In my case, it’s dangerous because I’m suddenly distracted from the road by trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be going in the immediate moment. I’m on the spectrum, and on-the-fly changes of plan spike my anxiety - nothing I can do about that except work around it. That isn’t a personal fault, I’m keeping myself and other people safer on the road.
So I’m gonna keep using the GPS even when I know where I’m going, that way if I realise I’m gonna miss my exit I don’t panic and instead can keep going with the confidence that the GPS will re-route me and I’ll have time to be in the correct lane for the next one.
I use my GPS every day on my way home from work. I know the route very well, but 10% of the time, the highway gets a crazy amount of traffic; and you can’t tell it’s backed up until you get on it. My GPS knows though. It saves me 30 extra minutes every time it happens and I just take the back roads.
I use it because it gives me the speed cameras.
Being not 100% certain of something isn’t dangerous if you have critical thinking skills. It sounds like you fear what you can’t plan for, which is one of the dangerous side effects of people relying on technology like this. Unless you’re travelling in an area that you don’t frequent, how could you be surprised by construction or a parade, both of which are things that are announced weeks ahead of time?
I’m autistic and do not do well with a change of plans, especially under time pressure, but thanks so much for assuming that it’s because I lack “critical thinking skills” (which is not what that is, by the way) and taking the chance to insult me for working around my limitations.
When you grow up, you’ll learn that people are all different, and that supplementing one’s abilities with the tools available is not a weakness. I’m going to keep using the GPS even when I know where I’m going, not because I’m “overreliant on technology” or “afraid of things I haven’t planned for”, but because I’d like to keep myself and other people safe. I can’t help but feel that if everyone took this sort of attitude, we’d have far fewer collisions.
There’s a lot of roadworks around me that I never know about until I hit them. Are you monitoring websites for that or what? I’m sure a lot of the info is available somewhere but I think it’s reasonable to realise that a lot of people aren’t going to get it - especially when a satnav can automatically use that information.
Critical thinking requires not being 100% confident and seeking confirmation to establish “knowns” so educated guesses are more educated than guess.
Broadly speaking people following memorized or planned routes had some clearly dangerous stuff.
Like “I’m nowhere near the correct lane but that’s the exit I know to take so I’m going to get over there no matter what”. Sure I still see it happen, but people that feel good about the backup plan feel better that it’ll get them on track in a reasonably ok way. Yes, presumably the next exit you can turn around, but in some places that could be quite a distance and the gps is likely to sort out a less punishing route.
On the unusual circumstances, practically speaking that’s usually an accident or traffic. However plenty of times you have construction not announced in any way you are likely to know. If they are going to work on a major interstate then if possible they put up a big sign. If they are emergency repairing a pothole, you won’t have warning. Here the most recent parade was due to a celebration about three days after something happened to celebrate. Very little warning and I only knew if that because of listening to local news.
If you know your exit is coming up from memory why would you not already be in the correct lane? You’ve learned the route, you should be able to recognize when an exit is getting close. My concern with a gps is that it’s easy to get caught up in keeping track of traffic immediately around you, then get surprised when the gps says to take the next exit in half a mile because you didn’t know the road well enough to recognize the buildings/markers that it’s getting close, and you have gps so why bother looking at the actual signs.
If taking the next exit is an issue because it might take a while, then how does a gps figure out a shorter route? It’s literally the next exit, there is nowhere else to go before that exit, and if it’s taken a while to get there then the main road is almost certainly the fastest route back.
If I’m going somewhere for the first time in a while I will often check the gps before I leave to see if there’s construction or road closures because it can be helpful, but once I’ve confirmed there isn’t I close the gps and run off memory. One time a couple months ago I was driving down the freeway in the boonies and construction closed down a chunk of it. I started following the detour and got out of cell service range. Eventually there was another detour sign that directed my back toward the main road after the construction area. It was very helpful and also the norm when there is construction or events taking place, at least in my neck of the US.
I think gps can be a useful tool in the short term or to learn routes, but when I start talking about driving westbound on one of the largest freeways in the metro or point “that way” and my friend gives me a dull look because all they know is “turn left here” and “exit here,” it’s become a crutch. But I almost definitely put a higher value on knowing where I am and how to navigate than the average person does, and I don’t expect that to change, so it’s something I’ve come to (begrudgingly) accept.
Yes, that is how you learn about these things.
Wtf, I feel like you’re just describing people that don’t know how to exist without the internet. If you miss your exit, then you simply get off at the next one and double back.
What about the danger of someone looking at their satnav telling them to “exit now” and then they cross five lanes of traffic almost causing an accident to get to the “right” exit that satnav told them to take? The problems you’re describing have nothing to do with satnav or no satnav, you’re describing problems with people who lack critical thinking skills, which is dangerous regardless of how they’re navigating.