Majority of young drivers rely on satnav

Maps are for wimps

14 September 2009 12:33 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Almost two thirds of young drivers now rely solely on satellite navigation to navigate the UK's roads, it's been revealed.

While 34% of all drivers polled in a recent Autonational Rescue-backed survey say they only use satnavs to navigate, 59% of young drivers admit to only using the GPS gadgetry.

Older drivers are much more likely to use printed road maps with just 17% of over 65s going down the satnav-only route.

Of all age groups of motorists, 31% check a road map first to preview the location and likely route, but apparently only 10% of under-25s consult a map before setting off.

An Autonational Rescue spokesperson says: "A downside to satnavs is that they can make some drivers lazy. These days we simply put in the postcode of our destination, jump in the car and go - sometimes not really knowing precisely where we're heading".

"And because of this remarkable technology, many drivers may be losing sight of what cities and towns are in the north, south, east or west of the UK".