Satnav doing us drivers a favour?
Discussion
You must understand that by 'drivers' here I mean those of us who take pleasure in driving a car as opposed to being happy merely to get from A to B as quickly and simply as possible.
We drove up from the south coast to the midlands yesterday - a Friday - using a map to navigate rather than relying on the satnav which kept trying to take us to the nearest motorway. God, it was an absolute pleasure! Fantastic roads with next to no traffic. Okay, we had to negotiate a few villages and small towns but they were just part of the fun.
If I'd been on my own I'd have relied on the satnav no doubt which is what I imagine 99% of those doing a similar journey were doing and that's why there were so few others on the roads we were on.
I'd tell you where we were coming from and heading to but I think I'll keep it to myself for obvious reasons.
We drove up from the south coast to the midlands yesterday - a Friday - using a map to navigate rather than relying on the satnav which kept trying to take us to the nearest motorway. God, it was an absolute pleasure! Fantastic roads with next to no traffic. Okay, we had to negotiate a few villages and small towns but they were just part of the fun.
If I'd been on my own I'd have relied on the satnav no doubt which is what I imagine 99% of those doing a similar journey were doing and that's why there were so few others on the roads we were on.
I'd tell you where we were coming from and heading to but I think I'll keep it to myself for obvious reasons.
Edited by clive_candy on Saturday 4th February 23:08
With Google maps, you can select the 'avoid motorways' option. I've done it myself when time of arrival isn't important. 
The problem with most sat navs that default to 'fastest' is that it'll take you miles out of your way to save a couple of minutes.
I try to balance direct routes with time; a bit of prior planning and carrying a map instead of blindly following sat nav instructions keeps you awake too. Michelin maps have a great option on route planners that used to be called 'balanced' but is now called 'economical.'
The problem with most sat navs that default to 'fastest' is that it'll take you miles out of your way to save a couple of minutes.
I try to balance direct routes with time; a bit of prior planning and carrying a map instead of blindly following sat nav instructions keeps you awake too. Michelin maps have a great option on route planners that used to be called 'balanced' but is now called 'economical.'I use satnav only when I have to . I appreciate its assistance but it is a soul destroying experience , sucking every ounce of spontaneity , opportunism and adventure from a journey . I have next to no idea where I am and not a clue about the countryside I'm driving through. I am no technophobe but a decent cross country journey is so much better after a few minutes with a map.. Sometimes, analogue is so much better
SuperNads said:
One issue I've found with this in Hampshire at least is when I fancy a slower more back-road type route I've run into so many more camera vans especially on weekdays which massively increases the chances of getting a speeding ticket.
There are always more camera vans on weekday during working hours, probably due to the fact the camera operators are at work. But it is correct they do tend to be on b roads rather than a roads and motorways.If you are retired like me you will notice how many more you see even if you are doing a lot less miles.
magpies said:
I often plan routes using Googlemaps. Easy enough to put 'way points' that are always fastest route so the satnav won't reroute you (and always suggest longer times away from your intended. Can only put in 10 way points then start another route from your end point.
I do the same, but what annoys me with Googlemaps is that it does the 'This detour is 2 seconds quicker than your planned route' sh!te and there doesn't appear to be any way to turn it off 
Josh
I drove up to Leeds once when the M25 was closed at the A1 and M1. Of course everyone was going via Heathrow/M40. So I went up the M11/A14 and Sods Law saw the A1 closed near PeatBogHorror. Of course Google diverted eveyone off the motorway and down country lanes to bypass it. It took 4 hours to get through a series of junctions with the volume of traffic.
Many years ago, we came back from a Lotus club bash in the Lake District to our home in Durham and used the Garmin 'Shortest Route' on the satnag. We had a very enjoyable - but very slow - trundle cross-country down some tiny lanes with grass growing up the middle. Hardly saw another car and found a delightful place for lunch.
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