Why Google maps can be crap at times

[Boris7]

Totally agree, technology should be embraced. But it’s not good to let it control your everyday actions

 

[trevskoda]

In Ireland you just went into a pub and ask directions then had a we one, ten pubs later you could not give a sh-t where you were going and just slept in the cab.

 

[Boris7]

I once went into a pub in Athone Trev, lost 3 days

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I find it interesting that having driven for a living most of my life, both nationally and internationally that it seems that in the last decade that suddenly drivers can’t see the road and need a devise to make their decisions for them.

In 1991 I took a load from Stockholm to Marrakesh no sat nav, no speeding ticket. Back load was to Istanbul, then back to Peterborough.

Didn’t need a satnav then, nowts changed

I bought my first sat nav, an Alpine system in 1998 ,on a credit card for £3400 it took most of a day to fit it in my Transit, town to town is easy, look at a map and make a crib sheet for junctions but once there, unless you have a massive box full of A to Zs you spend a lot of time asking for directions and often you may have driven past the turning, I found it saved me a lot of money in the long run and made for a stress free living, as I rarely went to the same place twice.

 

[mark61]

I bought my first sat nav, an Alpine system in 1998 ,on a credit card for £3400 it took most of a day to fit it in my Transit, town to town is easy, look at a map and make a crib sheet for junctions but once there, unless you have a massive box full of A to Zs you spend a lot of time asking for directions and often you may have driven past the turning, I found it saved me a lot of money in the long run and made for a stress free living, as I rarely went to the same place twice.

Crikey, didn't realise they cost that much.

Didn't get one till about 06. When touring in Europe, I still insisted on viewing route on a paper map or atlas, don't bother with that any more, I do sometime view route on larger device than phone though.

 

[exwindsurfer]

Crikey, didn't realise they cost that much.

Didn't get one till about 06. When touring in Europe, I still insisted on viewing route on a paper map or atlas, don't bother with that any more, I do sometime view route on larger device than phone though.

I use my 14in tablet lolol

 

[trevskoda]

I got my first one for free as a mate was upgrading, he to has to much money.

 

[ProDave]

If you drive to the GPS displayed speeds, you will be at least 2-3 mph below the actual limit. The issue you would have if it did alert you is that they are not accurate, so it would be pointless or worse still, get you 3 points and a fine.

And if you drive to your speedo indicated speed at least 5mph below the limit.

Taking these (deliberate) under reading into consideration and then the bit you are allowed over the limit before action we set the cruise control 5mph over the signed limit.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

And if you drive to your speedo indicated speed at least 5mph below the limit.

Taking these (deliberate) under reading into consideration and then the bit you are allowed over the limit before action we set the cruise control 5mph over the signed limit.

Be careful with that, I'm doing a motorway awareness course shortly, 57 in a 50 under specs.

 

[mark61]

Be careful with that, I'm doing a motorway awareness course shortly, 57 in a 50 under specs.

What course is that?
If it's a secret, change font to white.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I'll let you know after I've done it.

 

[ProDave]

Be careful with that, I'm doing a motorway awareness course shortly, 57 in a 50 under specs.

You need to know your own speedo and how much it under reads, we do that from multiple sources like GPS speed and those roadside "your speed is...." signs. Clearly doing 57 in a 50 limit you either had not calibrated your speedo or allowed yourself a little too much over the limit.

Or was it you "forgot" you were in the MH and thought you were allowed to do 60? (like my friend who got fined for doing 62. He queried it saying 62 is only just over the 60 limit and the reply was a photograph and "you were towing a trailer, you should only have been doing 50"

 

[Pudsey Bear]

No idea how it happened, but I drove to the GPS speed indicated, but that shouldn't matter, the last sign I saw in the variable speed section was 60, and I always drive under the posted limit anyway, so 57 is about right for the 60 limit, the ticket said the limit had changed 8 minutes prior to the camera catching me.

Anyway, it cost us £99 and I get a morning out, but no points.

 

[Rumour]

and I'd much rather be watching the road and not a speedo.

I see this argument a lot! Especially from those who have been caught speeding! (Not saying you have, but I have!) If you are that much out of control of your vehicle that you have to constantly look at the speedo, how do you manage around towns? It is a quick glance, a fraction of a second. I know roughly what speed I am doing when driving and just glance every now and then to confirm.

 

[barryd]

No idea how it happened, but I drove to the GPS speed indicated, but that shouldn't matter, the last sign I saw in the variable speed section was 60, and I always drive under the posted limit anyway, so 57 is about right for the 60 limit, the ticket said the limit had changed 8 minutes prior to the camera catching me.

Anyway, it cost us £99 and I get a morning out, but no points.

You can do them online now Kev.

 

[mark61]

No idea how it happened, but I drove to the GPS speed indicated, but that shouldn't matter, the last sign I saw in the variable speed section was 60, and I always drive under the posted limit anyway, so 57 is about right for the 60 limit, the ticket said the limit had changed 8 minutes prior to the camera catching me.

Anyway, it cost us £99 and I get a morning out, but no points.

That's harsh. How do you defend yourself in that scenario?

Just shows you. It's now probably a good idea to keep dash cam footage for a minimum of 14 day.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

You can do them online now Kev.

Eejit, I don't get to have a day out then do I?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

That's harsh. How do you defend yourself in that scenario?

Just shows you. It's now probably a good idea to keep dash cam footage for a minimum of 14 day.

Sadly, Mark, I left it in the house. I normally put it back in the van after I've downloaded the stills from it. I had just gone down to Merlin's for a bit of help in the van, so I didn't bother. Typically, my luck is not on my side. I need to get a spare 32 GB card for it, then I won't need to remove it. However, I do remove it because I don't like handling them without grounding myself; I once killed one.

 

[colinm]

I see this argument a lot! Especially from those who have been caught speeding! (Not saying you have, but I have!) If you are that much out of control of your vehicle that you have to constantly look at the speedo, how do you manage around towns? It is a quick glance, a fraction of a second. I know roughly what speed I am doing when driving and just glance every now and then to confirm.

To be honest I rarely 'need' to glance at the speedo when driving the van or my main car as I'm fairly well tuned in to how those vehicles 'feel' at different speeds, but I do glance at the speedo. I've never had a speeding ticket (will I regret posting that?) but like hundreds of others near where I live was guilty of speeding in a local town centre some 25 years back, there was a story in the news about how the authorities where disappointed at the lack of adherence to the new 20mph limit, well most people hadn't even seen the signs as they where positioned on a busy mini roundabout where drivers were concentrating on the traffic and negotiating said roundabout, it took some time after this was pointed out that they eventually changed the position of the signs, also there's another speed limit I regularly go through, all summer the signs where hidden in amongst trees, the council have been told about this, but haven't bothered to clip them back.
As it happens the EU and UK have decided it is a good thing having a audio speed warning built in to all cars, along with a displayed sign on dash.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

A few cars have a HUD these days, which should help.