"Don't Trust Sat Nav" Signs Pop Up in Wales
Although many of us place our trust in GPS and satellite navigation, there have been several under-reported stories of people placing too much trust in the units, and driving into dead ends or even to the edge - though not off - of cliffs. In a problematic area in South Wales, the first official signs in Great Britain warning of such a GPS error have shown up.
The signs, introduced by authorities in rural St Hilary, in the Vale
of Glamorgan, South Wales, to warn drivers about placing too much faith
in the directional gadgets, could be brought in across the country if
the trial is successful.
Problems were reported after foreign drivers found it difficult to understand phrases such as "unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles" but could understand pictorial notices, media reported.
The "dead zone' in question has a section of road too small for many trucks. Since GPS units were giving truck drivers directions for a "shortcut," which in fact would work for a car, they applied old-school methodology and added signs.
