# 63% of drivers say GPS got them lost



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

From SF Gate:

*"Make a U-turn if possible": 63% of drivers say GPS got them lost*


> They may not have driven into a lake à la "The Office's" Michael Scott, but the majority of U.S. drivers who have used GPS technology say they've been led astray at least once - either by being sent in the wrong direction or by receiving "complex, confusing and incorrect routes," according to a recent online survey conducted on behalf of Michelin Travel and Lifestyle, publishers of traditional maps, guidebooks and Web-based travel tools.


FULL ARTICLE HERE


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

There are a couple pieces of advice when it comes to GPS....

1. In many cases, a new GPS comes with a free single map upgrade and firmware upgrade. Perform that upgrade right away. The map update will take several hours, so I suggest performing it "overnight". 

2. Read the manual. You may be surprised at some of the options that can be set that can affect your navigation.

3. Don't use the your major trip as the first time you use that new GPS (or any other new device). Try a few runs around the neighborhood to see what happens. Go into the menus and check the options. Don't be afraid to play around with the GPS in familiar surroundings.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

There's such a wide range in GPS' abilities to provide timely and understandable info, that it doesn't surprise me that many have felt being left high and dry.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

were the folks surveyed perhaps using Apple maps.....lol


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Paper maps have shown me the way for many years and have never once talked back to me.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

SayWhat? said:


> Paper maps have shown me the way for many years and have never once talked back to me.


+1......I still use my Motor Carriers' Road Atlas.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

We've had great experience with several Garmin devices over the years. Never travel without one. The only issue I can recall is occasionally the instruction to turn is said a little too late to make the turn. RECALCULATING......


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

6 year ago I bought a Pioneer AVIC for my Toyota and it's been working well all these years. Only once, in Montreal, did I get a weird routing that basically had me going ahead 1 block, U-Turning, coming back that block and making a left instead of a simple right turn.

My wife's Garmin - a present for her a few years ago - has worked well in Ohio, California, Florida, the entire Northeast US, Scotland, The Netherlands and over the North Sea (used it in an airplane to see that we were doing 560mph). We'll be getting more use out of it in Germany next month.

A little common sense in using these devices goes a long way.


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

A limitation of the devices is the data input into the system.

A county near here during the big E911 upgrade several years ago made sure almost every cowpath, levee, nature trail, and vacated road had a name, just in case.

Years later, GPS thinks of all these cowpaths (and worse) as viable ways of getting around, even if they would challenge a D8 caterpillar. And to make it worse, the database hasn't been updated (as of whenever) and a recently paved road was relocated from the where the original was. Most GPS devices think you are off road and 4 wheeling through the outback when you're on this road, and will try to put you on every dirt trail leading off the new cement.

The locals are aware, but you'd wonder if travelers from elsewhere are running into trouble.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

There's state highway here that carries the same number for a couple of hundred miles even though it breaks in continuity several times. Parts of it are more well traveled than others. Parts of it go through, other parts don't. One of the breaks is over a fairly major river about a 1/4 mile wide. It's in a very rural area, so there ain't no bridge, ain't never been a bridge, ain't never gonna be a bridge. So where does the GPS route plot if you ask it to take you from one local town to another? You guessed it. Backtracking to correct the mistake is close to 40 miles.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

I like my Garmin.
The only time it does something strange is when a place is located on the corner of an intersection on the freeway.
Id does not seem to know that you can turn left or right and go right into the address you are looking for. It will show for you to go all the way to the next exit and take the feeder road to get to it. This in the case I am using would take you about 8 miles out of the way.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

One of the things I like about getting our Garmin is that we got Lifetime map updates. We update once per quarter - after all, a map (or GPS) is useless if it isn't kept up to date. I have noticed over the course of our time with it that local updates do happen - slowly... It's useful around town, (including look for that place where the job interview is...). Mine also will mate (via bluetooth) to my phone, so it works as a handsfree.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

I am the only that uses Google Maps on my iPhone as a dedicated GPS device? it always has the latest maps, free of charge.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

People, long before GPS, have had a nasty habit of setting out on a trip without knowing where they are going. With paper maps, I always looked over the whole route before I left... so I was generally familiar with where I was going in case I missed an exit or something was different (traffic, construction, etc) than what I expected.

I do the same with GPS and electronic maps... check out the whole route before you start driving... otherwise you have no idea when you go wrong until you are way wrong.

GPS, like any tool, is only as good as the person using it.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Thing is, with paper maps you can see the 'big picture' a lot easier when you can spread them out on a table top (or car hood) You can look at hundreds of miles in any direction in one view without scrolling or zooming. I'd rather look at a layout 3 or 4 feet square than a 3" LCD screen.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

SayWhat? said:


> Thing is, with paper maps you can see the 'big picture' a lot easier when you can spread them out on a table top (or car hood) You can look at hundreds of miles in any direction in one view without scrolling or zooming. I'd rather look at a layout 3 or 4 feet square than a 3" LCD screen.


For sure. However, after doing that and going down what you think is the right road it is nice when the machine says "Recalculating" to let you know that you are not on the correct path. I do that sometimes just to see if it will mess with it's calculations.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

SayWhat? said:


> Paper maps have shown me the way for many years and have never once talked back to me.


that function is handled by your navigator in the right seat, if they are not doing it then you have a defective one


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

I'd never buy another car without OnStar and it's features. I've been using their driving directions for years and have never had one problem. No map displays to distract drivers, just a voice telling where and when to turn. I do get a readout on my dashboard, but I don't need it and ignore it for the most part.

Rich


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Rich said:


> No map displays to distract drivers, just a voice telling where and when to turn.


That would be the navigator in the back seat.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

This assumes they have good GSP.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

peds48 said:


> I am the only that uses Google Maps on my iPhone as a dedicated GPS device? it always has the latest maps, free of charge.


Only if you always (and only) go where you get cell service.... The nice thing about a DEDICATED GPS device is that it doesn't need that to advise you...

Let me tell you - there are places in this country where there is no cell service - and that's here on the EAST COAST - nevermind the mountains and the West....


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Only if you always (and only) go where you get cell service.... The nice thing about a DEDICATED GPS device is that it doesn't need that to advise you...

Let me tell you - there are places in this country where there is no cell service - and that's here on the EAST COAST - nevermind the mountains and the West....


I knew someone will bring this up. Pre Google maps days, I was using Navigon GPS bought from the App Store. So this one is my back up for those rare case where I dont have cell service


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

*"63% of drivers say GPS got them lost"*

Probably, 62% of them are idiots!


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

One reason would be that drivers don't update the maps on their devices, manufacturer's put out yearly updates to account for the changes in the highway and back road infrastructure.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Nick said:


> *"63% of drivers say GPS got them lost"*
> 
> Probably, 62% of them are idiots!


That'd mean only about 36% of drivers are idiots. In my experience, it's closer to 85%! :blackeye:


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

wingrider01 said:


> One reason would be that drivers don't update the maps on their devices, manufacturer's put out yearly updates to account for the changes in the highway and back road infrastructure.


The reason I don't update my Tom Tom is it takes 14 hours with my slow rural internet and their server kicks me off after a few hours.

I still like living here, but high speed internet would be such a blessing!


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Nick said:


> *"63% of drivers say GPS got them lost"*
> 
> Probably, 62% of them are idiots!


Probably? I'd like to know how people get away with sticking them on their windshields. My son got hit by a girl who was inputting an address on her windshield mounted GPS device. He was sitting in his car at a light at the time. Had nowhere to hide from that moron.

Rich


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Probably? I'd like to know how people get away with sticking them on their windshields. My son got hit by a girl who was inputting an address on her windshield mounted GPS device. He was sitting in his car at a light at the time. Had nowhere to hide from that moron. 

Rich


How does the windshield has anything to do? even if it was on another place, the driver had to take their eyes off the road. Hopefully your son was OK


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

SayWhat? said:


> *Paper maps have shown me the way for many years* and have never once talked back to me.


Same here.

But it is the last 100 feet that is difficult as you try to find the house number on homes that put 'em everywhere but where they should be.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Rich said:


> Probably? I'd like to know how people get away with sticking them on their windshields. My son got hit by a girl *who was inputting an address* on her windshield mounted GPS device. He was sitting in his car at a light at the time. Had nowhere to hide from that moron.
> 
> Rich


It wasn't the location, but the her action that cause the accident.

I would prefer a screen of some type right in front of me.

Any status on when Smart Windshields will become vogue? You know, the one with all the vehicle data that can be activated right on the windshield by voice command.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

gov said:


> The reason I don't update my Tom Tom is it takes 14 hours with my slow rural internet and their server kicks me off after a few hours.
> 
> I still like living here, but high speed internet would be such a blessing!


Be worth going someplace else and updating it there.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Drucifer said:


> Any status on when Smart Windshields will become vogue? You know, the one with all the vehicle data that can be activated right on the windshield by voice command.


Not quite what you are talking about but we test drove an X3 yesterday with a heads-up display that projected speed and nav instructions on the windshield in front of the driver. I liked having the speed up there.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Projected speed? How does that work?


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/technology/technology_guide/articles/head_up_display.html


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

trh said:


> http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/technology/technology_guide/articles/head_up_display.html


If that's solely in response to my question, thank you, but I understand how such displays work. I don't know how a vehicle can project one's intended speed. ETA, yes, based on distance, speed limit and traffic.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

I meant projected as in the speed is projected from the lens on the dash onto the windshield.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

klang said:


> Not quite what you are talking about but we test drove an X3 yesterday with a heads-up display that projected speed and nav instructions on the windshield in front of the driver.





Laxguy said:


> I don't know how a vehicle can project one's intended speed


The same way you project a movie onto a wall or screen.

And he said 'projected speed', not 'project intended speed'.

Not fond of HUDs though, if they're in front of the driver. Just more junk to obstruct the view of what they're supposed to be looking at. HUDs might be fine for fighter pilots where there isn't other traffic or pedestrians to watch out for.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

peds48 said:


> How does the windshield has anything to do? even if it was on another place, the driver had to take their eyes off the road. Hopefully your son was OK


It's illegal in NJ to have anything that blocks your view on your windshield. Don't know how many states have that law. It's also illegal to block "Garden State" on our license plates. My son wasn't injured, thanx for asking. For all the laws we have, the cops are pretty tolerant of most things and overlook the petty laws. My other son is a cop and he used the license plate law as a way of letting folks off lightly when he was a patrolman.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Drucifer said:


> It wasn't the location, but the her action that cause the accident.
> 
> I would prefer a screen of some type right in front of me.
> 
> Any status on when Smart Windshields will become vogue? You know, the one with all the vehicle data that can be activated right on the windshield by voice command.


Pontiac had a "heads up" display on the Bonnevilles years ago. Click the option and the readout would be displayed on the windshield just above the steering wheel. I drove one and I found the display on the window easy to read while driving. Showed the MPH and stuff like that. Must not have been a good selling point. I really don't like the displays on the middle of the dashboards above the center console. Seems to be distracting.

About the location, it's still illegal to have them mounted on the window in NJ. A law that's overlooked by the police, for the most part.

Rich


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

SayWhat? said:


> Not fond of HUDs though, if they're in front of the driver. Just more junk to obstruct the view of what they're supposed to be looking at. HUDs might be fine for fighter pilots where there isn't other traffic or pedestrians to watch out for.


This was my first hands on with a HUD and I thought it was very well implemented. Speed image appeared just above the hood. For me that was in my peripheral vision. Quite nice.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

klang said:


> I meant projected as in the speed is projected from the lens on the dash onto the windshield.


Ah, thanks. I kept thinking about the other type of projection, such as ETA or driving range given the gas supply.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

Rich said:


> Pontiac had a "heads up" display on the Bonnevilles years ago. Click the option and the readout would be displayed on the windshield just above the steering wheel. I drove one and I found the display on the window easy to read while driving. Showed the MPH and stuff like that. Must not have been a good selling point. I really don't like the displays on the middle of the dashboards above the center console. Seems to be distracting.
> 
> About the location, it's still illegal to have them mounted on the window in NJ. A law that's overlooked by the police, for the most part.
> 
> Rich


the Grand Prix had the option available until they stopped making them. Had a 2008 GXP with it


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

wingrider01 said:


> the Grand Prix had the option available until they stopped making them. Had a 2008 GXP with it


Nice car, a bit too small for me. Shame they stopped making the Pontiacs. Had an '88 Bonneville I bought new. Lasted me 20 years. that Bonneville I drove with the heads up option also had its own air compressor. Nice feature.

Rich


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

Rich said:


> Nice car, a bit too small for me. Shame they stopped making the Pontiacs. Had an '88 Bonneville I bought new. Lasted me 20 years. that Bonneville I drove with the heads up option also had its own air compressor. Nice feature.
> 
> Rich


Didn't get it for the size, some tuning and parts upgrade by the experts, it was putting 470 HP along with some suspension mods and a custom paint job. made a pretty penny on it when I sold it.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Didn't get it for the size, some tuning and parts upgrade by the experts, it was putting 470 HP along with some suspension mods and a custom paint job. made a pretty penny on it when I sold it.


how did we go from being lost by GPS to talking about cars....lol :rolling:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Don't try to get to my house by blindly following your GPS. I have yet to see one with a map that doesn't reflect the upper one in the image below. And my Garmin GPS is always telling me to turn at the upper outlet shown on my street which is somebody's house. The problem is the map below properly reflects what's on the ground:








So if I have my GPS on, I turn into my street and it does the "recalculating" every time.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

I have no idea how big those plots are, but I suspect much of that map would fit within my 7 acres. I could never have neighbors that physically close again. But I guess that's a different thread, eh?


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