According to a survey from Michelin Travel, over 60 percent of drivers in the United States have gotten lost using their GPS. It has pointed them in the wrong direction as well as given complex and confusing information. Some claim the directions provided by their GPS units are just plain wrong.
The survey consisted of over 2,000 adult drivers in the United States who regularly depend on a GPS device for directions. Most said their GPS makes a mistake while they’re driving approximately 4.4 times. When the drivers are younger the incidents of an inaccurate GPS device are even greater. Adult drivers between the ages of 18-34 claimed they have been given bad information by their GPS device on an average of 6.3 times. Out of all drivers in the United States who use a GPS device, seven percent say they were given the wrong directions over 10 times.
It is estimated that 30 percent of adult drivers in the United States depend on a GPS unit when they drive in unfamiliar locations. It is only used after such physical resources as maps, printed directions, atlases and guide books. The physical resources are utilized first by approximately 40 percent of Americans who go to unfamiliar locations.
The survey results also showed that almost half of adult drivers in the United States keep road maps atlases and more in their vehicles. The survey also showed that almost 60 percent of people over 55 had physical resources in their car. When it comes to drivers in the United States between 45 and 54 it was 44 percent. There were 39 percent of young drivers in the United States between 18 and 34 who said they kept maps in their cars.
Male drivers in the United States are more likely to use GPS than women when driving in a new place. GPS units are most often used by people in the northeast portion of the United States. Only 25 percent of drivers in the west depend on a GPS unit for directions.
In a June 17, 2013 press release Cynthia Ochterbeck, editorial director of Michelin Travel Partners is quoted as saying “Technology is great, but a printed map is one of the most important tools a traveler in an unfamiliar setting can have-the battery doesn’t die, it is easy to use, and it allows you to make decisions on route changes if necessary.
Source
Michelin North America
Press Release
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