Don't switch off your brain when you turn on the GPS

Many of us have heard of not necessarily funny stories of people using GPS ending up with their cars in a lake… While GPS can be very helpful, it can also lead us into some trouble, if we stop thinking rationally.

Controlled by satellites, GPS depends on what is saved in the data base. Both satellite data base and your own GPS need to be frequently updated. If you fail to update your GPS, you may drive longer as desired. And vice versa, when the satellite data base is not updated, your GPS will not be able to find the new roads or motorway exits. Therefore, we should not blindly follow navigation instructions to drive forward, when we see that we have reached the end of the road…

While GPS should only help us reach our travel destination, we often tend to switch off our minds and depend entirely on the gadget placed in the middle of our vehicle dashboard. Typing an address into GPS while driving does not make our trip safer, it is as dangerous as talking on the phone and changing gears at the same time. The navigation equipment should not be in our direct sight line, so that we are not distracted and can focus on the road in front of us.

The general idea behind the satellite navigation system is to show us where we are in a given moment. It can also help us omit gridlocks and find a shorter ways. Properly used, as a help and not as a unerring guide, GPS can be a great support.

PS Auto Europe offers car hire with GPS in numerous car hire locations. Its prices can be found under the Terms, Conditions and Local Fees section in our booking engine.