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Satnav drivers losing their sense of direction at the wheel

  Monday, 16 May 2011

A scientist from the University of Dundee has revealed that UK motorists are becoming too reliant on satnav systems and as a result are losing their sense of direction at the wheel.

Dr Rosamund Langston, a lecturer in behavioural neuroscience, believes the constant use of satnav devices has created a ‘Hansel and Gretel generation’ of drivers who were simply lost without one.

Dr Langston said: “We seem to have some innate directional awareness which is ‘hard wired’ into our brains from birth.

“But we also found that another significant part of the brain’s ability to find its way around comes from our knack of memorising experiences from the places we have been previously.”

Plotting a route on a road atlas used to be the common way to find your way from A to B. But satnavs and other electronic in-car devices are not allowing drivers to think for themselves, taking away their ‘caveman’ ability to work out for themselves where they are.

Dr Langston added: “For instance, if you start a new job and you take time aside the week before to plan the route, drive it and try to remember it, then you’re going to be better equipped to do it unaided.

“If you’ve drive it ten times just following the flashing arrow on a satnav, you’re probably going to get lost half way there on your own.”

Disorientation is just one of a number of reasons motorists unintentionally cause accidents on the UK’s motorways. At ASM Auto Recycling we boast a great number of salvage cars for sale. These are vehicles recovered from the scenes of accidents but remain in good enough condition to be restored to roadworthy standards.

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