Sat Navs and NARROW Lanes

[kangooroo]

I live along a 2-mile lane narrower than the one shown and am used to driving with the hedges touching to both sides. Even so, I have been caught out using sat-nav myself when one of these narrow lanes became a cycle track and ended with 3 concrete bollards. The lane was too tight to reverse without extensively lopping branches from the hedges and obviously turning around was impossible so I was trapped. My only escape route was to drive down a grass bank to join the road below. I did a quick reccie on foot to ensure the ground was firm(ish) and then slowly rolled down. Without that option, I was completely and utterly stuck!

 

[antiquesam]

Having tried to navigate in towns with map on the steering wheel in a 7.5 tonne lorry I praise the inventor of GPS machines and with an old dog of a van I quite enjoy those lanes where you trim the hedgerows as you go along, much more interesting then those 'orrible motorways.

 

[Deleted member 9849]

................................. On 2 occasions I have been in a pickle because the wally coming the other way in their car kept on driving instead of looking for a spot to pull in to allow passing. Then they did not want to reverse a short distance to solve the problem.

Same situation happened to us once on a very narrow lane in Cornwall,a stubborn ass**le in a car wouldn't reverse 20 mts into a passing place when I didn't have one in sight behind me.

I put the handbrake on and got the kettle on,he soon relented and reversed into the layby,I gave him a nice smile and wave as we passed.:wave:

 

[yorkslass]

I have often thought that the reason they don't reverse is cos they can't?
Same reason they will stop to 'allow' you to squeeze through, so if you hit them they wouldn't be to blame.
Picked up the van the other day, and had to use a taxi to get there. When the driver saw the van he said" your not going to drive that, I wouldn't dare". Might be one of my ' bee in the bonnet things" but I have always felt that if you don't feel confident to drive something, you shouldn't be driving at all. As I say, it might be me.

 

[QFour]

They are a tool bit like having a map on your knee. They can be indispensable in towns with one way systems and even with the navigation switched off and just the maps showing you can work your way through. We had a nice experience in France where we were looking for an Aire. We followed some signs and went down a road but at the bottom you could only turn right as it was one way. Problem was someone had built a building on the corner and you just couldn't get round. Loads of traffic behind us so we turned left up a NO ENTRY instead.

If you use them wisely and know their limitations then you don't go far wrong.

Tractors towing a large trailers are happy to go in the hedge if it helps and you can squeeze by. We even had one drive into a field which was very nice of him :king:

..

 

[Chocky]

We have a set of POI loaded into ours that warns of roads unsuitable for HGV. If they can't get down, then at least it permits a pause, asses and maybe re-route. Really useful

 

[1 Cup]

must remember

M5 northbound Somerset to glostershire . 2 old sat navs ask to leave motorway at Bristol .Why?
Tom , Nav man gets confused ?
Still joeanna lummly voiced Darling.
You should know your journey . Last 3 miles with arrowhead pointing to destination. For me

 

[Deleted member 12539]

I use a truck sat nav in the m/h, but don't rely on it, solely. When in doubt, listen to the wife (nag nav), or go for it and suffer the consequences
Our sat nav also tells me how far the destination is, a reminder how long we have been driving, current speed limits, which I use as a guide. It reminds me when I creep over speed too ( I do not have cruise control).
I also find the sat nav especially good at night, as it gives prior information on junctions and road directions.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Sat Navs are best used for the last few miles of a journey to find a precise location.

I know my way to Leeds from here, but not to number 27 Acacia Avenue in Leeds.

It's 4 doors down from number 19, silly boy.

 

[badgerdid]

I find the satnav very usefull and wouldnt be without one when going anywhere, its nice to know how longs left to drive, the speed limits, when speed cams are coming up and any traffic problems ahead which it will find an alternative route. I drove lorries a few years ago and had AtoZ maps of nearly every town, nowadays you just need a satnav, soooo much easier.

If i had a large motorhome like a lot on here i would defenatly use tomtom truck or similar and enter the vehicle details so it doesnt take me down silly thin roads. Even a few mates who have caravans use the truck version just for that reason.

 

[ricc]

turn left out of our gate onto a tarmac lane to the village, turn right and 100yards later youre on a mud and stone bridle way for a mile or so before reaching a narrow tarmac lane to the next village.

just had someone arrive in a very muddy van to pick up a set of gates.....yes they ignored my email directions and followed the satnav over the track.

 

[rugbyreddragon]

In France at the moment travelled down from the tunnel to presently Narbonne. Have been away since the 22/4 and have been to some great places. We use a Tom Tom Motorhome Camping version and find it great most of the time. Sometimes on roundabouts it will say take the 4th exit and for the life of me can only count 3. We find it very useful for route planning to indentify distances between certain points and then decide if we want to travel that distance that day or whether a detour to visit something is viable/doable.

Totally agree can't do without a suitable map and All The Aires book but would not be without the sat nav.

 

[maxi77]

At first I thought this thread was going to be a bit like TV ones with the Luddites on one side and the technophiles on the other but not so. I have driven over much of Europe with the map by my side and used to have a big stock of Falk city plans. But now, just as I use a GPS Chartplotter at sea despite having in another life been the pencil and paper chart navigator of one of her Majesties Submarines, I use a Satnav in every vehicle I drive and carry one with me to use in hire cars. In the van I use a cheap lorry unit of ebay which has helped me avoid low bridges, weight limits and width limits (very useful in Aberdeen rush hour traffic)Of course some common sense is needed, just as it is needed using a map. It is a tool, use it wisely and it is a boon, use it badly and you will screw up.

 

[delicagirl]

At first I thought this thread was going to be a bit like TV ones with the Luddites on one side and the technophiles on the other but not so. I have driven over much of Europe with the map by my side and used to have a big stock of Falk city plans. But now, just as I use a GPS Chartplotter at sea despite having in another life been the pencil and paper chart navigator of one of her Majesties Submarines, I use a Satnav in every vehicle I drive and carry one with me to use in hire cars. In the van I use a cheap lorry unit of ebay which has helped me avoid low bridges, weight limits and width limits (very useful in Aberdeen rush hour traffic)Of course some common sense is needed, just as it is needed using a map. It is a tool, use it wisely and it is a boon, use it badly and you will screw up.

Us luddites do sometimes recognise when technology is worth learning to use as it makes lives so much easier.. !!! this is one MUST HAVE bit of kit for me and i am on my second satnav now... and am still finding new functions i never knew existed....

 

[izwozral]

Couple of years back I was delivering an oil painting to a house in Nottinghamshire, the road started to narrow, then it became more pot holes than tarmac, then trees were either side, then road became a dirt track, the trees became woodland. I became very confused.
A lady walking her dog approached explained that, indeed, I was on the correct road but the woodland cut through the said road and the said road continued about a quarter of a mile the other side. Apparently, the road was supposed to be connected years ago but legal wrangling's due to ownership of the woodland had prevented the road being connected. The lady reckoned that a 4x wheel drive could possibly drive through but not the Astra Van we were in. I wish i could remember exactly where it was so I could check on Google earth or a map to see if the road was still in two.

 

[maxi77]

Couple of years back I was delivering an oil painting to a house in Nottinghamshire, the road started to narrow, then it became more pot holes than tarmac, then trees were either side, then road became a dirt track, the trees became woodland. I became very confused.
A lady walking her dog approached explained that, indeed, I was on the correct road but the woodland cut through the said road and the said road continued about a quarter of a mile the other side. Apparently, the road was supposed to be connected years ago but legal wrangling's due to ownership of the woodland had prevented the road being connected. The lady reckoned that a 4x wheel drive could possibly drive through but not the Astra Van we were in. I wish i could remember exactly where it was so I could check on Google earth or a map to see if the road was still in two.

Very many years ago I was in a car in Devon with a mate, we came to a crossroad and all roads including the one we had come down were signed to our destination. We chose one and a couple of miles later found ourselves in a field, we retraced our track and tried one of the other roads and got to our destination

 

[Bossangel]

We have a fairytooth TomTom in the van that has done us very well in France.
One day we turned it off & said we would wander by map & wander we did! Why do all the signs seems to point to Paris?

If using a sat nav in France make sure it doesn't have a speed camera locator in it. They will fine you if you get caught

 

[iampatman]

If using a sat nav in France make sure it doesn't have a speed camera locator in it. They will fine you if you get caught

Is there anyone on this forum who has been fined for having a speed camera locator on their Sat Nav? Or knows anyone who has been fined for this offence?

Pat

 

[Deleted member 9849]

Garmin have tried to circumvent the French speed camera law by calling them ''safety zones''.£16.99 per year subscription,don't know where you would stand legally if explaining to the gendarmes that it is not a speed camera database,only a ''dangerous zone'' warning.

Cyclops Dangerous Zones France | Garmin

 

[Tezza33]

Garmin have tried to circumvent the French speed camera law by calling them ''safety zones''.£16.99 per year subscription,don't know where you would stand legally if explaining to the gendarmes that it is not a speed camera database,only a ''dangerous zone'' warning.

Cyclops Dangerous Zones France | Garmin

It isn't just Garmin, it is Tomtom as well and it is perfectly legal, if you have kept your satnav up to date it will automatically switch to danger zones when it detects you are in France

Since 3rd January 2012, it has been illegal to receive warnings about the position of fixed or mobile speed cameras when you are driving in France. To be compliant with this change in French law, all types of speed camera locations and safety-related features are now reported as danger zones.