Study Reveals Our Sense Of Direction Is Taking A Turn For The Worse With Too Much Trust In Sat Navs

Hi, Most of us are dependent on Sat Navs, but with news stories about drivers ending up on train tracks, in rivers, or hundreds of miles from their destination, it seems we aren’t all very capable of using them correctly. What’s worse, research suggests that sat navs and map apps could actually affect our intelligence by essentially causing a part of the brain to shut down. Studies show that overuse of navigation technology can make your map-memory skills weaker, as you’re less likely to remember the route naturally and instead rely on the technology to guide you instead. At Leasing Options<https://www.leasingoptions.co.uk/news/blog/is-our-sense-of-direction-taking-a-turn-for-the-worse-with-too-much-trust-in-sat-navs/5895>, we decided to put this to the test, testing drivers to travel to a new destination using only road signs and paper maps, whilst also surveying drivers to find out if they relied on the technology. Our findings back up the research – with over 1/3 of drivers revealing that map applications and satellite navigation have made their sense of direction worse. What’s more, of those respondents, nearly 85% were over 35 years old. The results revealed: * Less than 2% of young drivers admitted they would be fully confident using just road signs and a paper map to travel to a new destination. * Over 3 out of 5 young drivers would never drive somewhere new without tech help, yet almost 80% admit they’ve gotten lost using a sat nav. * Since we can’t all be trusted to use a sat nav correctly, it’s understandable that almost 1/3 of drivers still frequently use a paper map to find their way around. A staggering 58% always carry a paper map in their car. * Fewer than 20% of 18-24 year olds carry a paper map in their car – and only 1 in 20 have ever used one at all. * 97% of 18-24 year olds would feel stressed if their sat nav or map app stopped working when driving to a new destination. * Fewer than 1 in 5 young drivers have actually used a traditional road map in their lifetime. * We can still trust the older generation to put young people in the right direction. Unsurprisingly, almost 3/4 drivers aged 65 and over said they would have no problem getting somewhere new without satellite navigation. Putting this theory to the test, we tested real drivers to travel to a new destination using only road signs and paper maps to reach destinations including the Stadium of Light, Wembley Stadium and Bradford University. See the results here: https://www.leasingoptions.co.uk/news/blog/is-our-sense-of-direction-taking-a-turn-for-the-worse-with-too-much-trust-in-sat-navs/5895 [Northeast Route Map] Route: St. James’ Park -> Stadium Of Light Driver Name = Max / Age = 22 / Driving Experience = 3 Years “I had trouble getting out of Newcastle as I thought both lanes went one way, but they actually split right at the last moment, which caused a bit of panic. But thankfully, I just went out the other end of the roundabout to get back on track. I then got into bother when I had to turn off the motorway and was confronted with a busy roundabout. I ended up taking the exit early and headed off in the wrong direction. I then got to a second roundabout and assumed if I just went back in the opposite direction, I’d end up back where I was. I was wrong. I ended up back on the motorway heading in yet another wrong direction. Thankfully there was a junction soon after. I found myself in a place called Lambton, where I had to pull over and find out how to get back on track. Luckily all I had to do was follow the road I was on – it took me around Washington and back on the road I should’ve been on before. From there, fortunately, it was smooth sailing as that road took me to the stadium.�?? You can find the article here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ve3s2a6jtqo5oau/AABTXgIyi-FDxQqM05lgJlaZa?dl=0 Do you think this would be of interest to your readers? Visuals available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jxfb3f96qvnuxgi/AACB3A-cXnlPtxlb63IedtsEa?dl=0 Please let me know if you would like any more information. Thanks, Hazel Hazel Ramsell PR & Outreach Manager Evolved Search Office: 0800 043 0173<tel:0800%20043%200173> Direct Line: 019137592117<tel:019137592117> E-mail: hazel@evolvedsearch.co.uk<mailto:hazel@evolvedsearch.co.uk> [http://evolvedsearch.co.uk/esig/logo.png] [http://evolvedsearch.co.uk/esig/awards-logos2.png] W. https://www.evolvedsearch.co.uk Tw. https://twitter.com/evolved_search> Confidential: The contents of this e-mail are confidential to the ordinary user of the email address to which it was addressed and may also be privileged. If you are not the addressee of this e-mail you may not copy, forward, disclose or otherwise use it or any part of it in any form whatsoever. If you have received this e-mail in error please e-mail the sender by replying to this message.