Satnav is distracting

We're referring here to that marvellous on-line guide dog, otherwise known as satnav (short for satellite navigation).

Not many motorists who have used systems would argue with their merits, but new research conducted in the UK suggests that satnav may potentially be more a hindrance than a help.

A recent Manchester Metropolitan University study indicates that following directions from a satnav system requires more mental effort and concentration than trying to navigate on your own. And the results were reportedly the same whether the driver relied on voice instructions or visual guidance via the dash-mounted screen.

According to UK's The Times newspaper, the research team watched 24 drivers using a rally-driving simulator and monitored their eye movements.

Those receiving no directions concentrated more on the road and experienced half the stress levels of those who were following audio and visual directions.

"The effort of having to listen to a device telling you where to go, and trying to remember if it told you to take the first or second exit, may be enough to take your attention away from what you are doing," said the leader of the study, psychologist Dr Mark Wilson.

Wilson suggested that attempting to do two things at once takes its toll on the human brain, which means you might be slower to respond, for example, to a pedestrian stepping out in front of the car. A far better solution, according to Dr Wilson, was to pull over and read a map or ask for directions.

His argument is corroborated by a survey -- also conducted in the UK for Privilege Insurance -- which found that satnav can cause crashes as drivers fiddle with the controls rather than watch the road.

The survey revealed that more than 10 per cent of British motorists admitted to setting a satnav computer while on the move, rather than programming it before departure. Half of these drivers admitted this meant taking their eyes off the road.

We don't have figures for Australia, but it's a fair bet they wouldn't be too dissimilar.

It's somewhat ironic as satnav was conceived to boost safety and convenience by enabling drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel -- an exercise that's impossible if you've got a street directory in front of your nose.

Yet the survey indicated that satnav is just as distracting as a map. Its findings revealed that nearly 20 per cent of drivers have lost concentration while using satnav, compared to just 17 per cent of map readers.