Sat nav sending drivers to Crackpot

Small Yorkshire town confusing sat nav drivers

6 April 2006 10:05 GMT / By Stuart Miles

If you've ever found yourself in Crackpot, Yorkshire, chances are you've got a Satellite Navigation System.

According to local residents the tiny village has become a cut through on sat nav systems, with some noting a marked increase since Christmas, when thousands of British drivers received sat nav units as presents.

However, while that doesn't seem that out of the ordinary, the result of the cut through between Swaledale and Wensleydale has meant a spate of drivers following their new gadgets to the final instruction have ended up having to be rescued by local farmers.

The cause of the problem is that drivers are being directed up a narrow, steeply-winding cart-track, with a sheer drop of 100ft on one side.

The track, which has a no-through-road sign at its start and a barred gate, has a stone and gravel surface and is only just passable in a 4x4, but drivers intent on obeying their sat nav system's instructions have continued up there regardless.

The local authority is considering revising the signs to the track, and Trafficmaster has said that it will amend its mapping database.