Motorists still prefer printed maps to sat nav
5th Dec, 2013
An AA/Populus survey has revealed most motorists still prefer using printed maps when planning car journeys, often opting to unplug their satellite navigation devices.
Of the 23,824 drivers surveyed, 63% have used a printed map in the last six months, whilst 40% of those polled have not used an in-car sat nav at all during this period. 35% of motorists claim to have used both a printed map and a sat nav device.
Only 17% of drivers surveyed rely on sat nav alone, but this figure increases to 43% for 18-24 year olds who are often more familiar and trusting of electronic gadgets. With 91% of over-65’s using only printed maps, older drivers are the demographic least happy to employ the use of sat nav devices on car journeys.
The survey discovered that 11% of people polled plan their journeys with a map, taking written instructions with them; this figure falls to just 5% of 18-24 year olds. Only 1% of the drivers surveyed never travel far enough to require either map or sat nav assistance.
Author of Mapping the Roads, Mike Parker claims, ‘The story of Britain’s road development is also the story of it’s political, economical, and social history… the car has shaped our landscape and changed our maps.’
As Parker reiterated, advances in technology mean in-car navigation systems relegate the human navigator. But as stories still emerge of those who rely solely on sat nav technology finding themselves on roads inappropriate for their vehicles or in the wrong location entirely, there remains mistrust amongst many motorists.
Maintaining a reputation for excellent customer care by offering motorists service they can depend on is a priority for the team at Scrap Car Network. When disposing of an old or unwanted vehicles, our customers are assured of a reliable, cost effective and environmentally-friendly service – and no sat nav or map is required, we can collect your car free of charge a time and date to suit you.
As part of the waste management and recycling Community Dotcom services provided by our parent company, Recycling Lives, our impressive environmental and ethical standards are beyond reproach. We give our customers the assurance that all our UK-wide collection partners will adhere to our exemplary code of conduct when collecting and scrapping of your car.
