Drivers risk higher fines due to satnav addiction
Three quarters (78%) of drivers in England and Wales now use satnavs or smartphones to guide them on journeys****
An over-reliance has led to nearly one in five (18%) driving dangerously
One in six (17%) say their satnav has given them the wrong speed limit
Over half of drivers (56%) don’t know the correct speed limit on single or dual carriageways
Three in five (58%) fail to update their device regularly, leading to out-of-date instructions
With higher speeding penalties coming into effect on 24 April 2017 in England and Wales, Uswitch.com is encouraging drivers to sharpen up on laws of the road and update satnavs.
An over-reliance on satnavs and smartphones is causing motorists to drive dangerously on Britain’s roads, according to research from Uswitch.com, the price comparison and switching service.
The majority (78%) of drivers now rely on a satnav or smartphone to find their way and advise them on speed limits. But nearly a fifth (18%) say they’ve driven dangerously – for example, by driving the wrong way down a one-way street or needing to make a sharp U-turn to get back on track, after receiving the wrong information from their device. A further one in six (17%) say their satnav has given them the wrong speed limit.
Contributing to the problem, the majority of drivers (58%) fail to keep their devices up to date and are missing the latest road layouts as well as any speed limit changes. The reliance on technology is also creating a knowledge gap, with over half of drivers (56%) unable to identify the correct speed limit on single or dual carriageways.
New rules introduced last month state that drivers must keep all handheld devices in secure holders and out of the driver’s view. However, one in six (16%) drivers have admitted to keeping their devices behind the steering wheel, on the passenger seat or even next to the gear stick, potentially risking a heavy fine.
According to the research, the majority (56%) of drivers believe that more signs would help them keep to the legal speed limits – yet regulatory changes introduced last year mean there are likely to be fewer speed limit signs on British roads.
With speeding fines due to increase by up to 50% next week, for the most serious cases in England and Wales, Uswitch.com is calling on drivers to sharpen up on the laws of the road and keep their devices up to date.
Rod Jones, insurance expert at Uswitch.com, said: “We are officially a nation of satnav junkies, but our addiction to technology is causing us to drive dangerously and risk large fines. While satnavs and smartphones are an incredibly useful tool for motorists, it is important to remember they are never a complete substitute for knowing the rules of the road.
“Tougher penalties have already been introduced around handheld device usage that could mean newer drivers losing their licence after a first offence and for all drivers the penalties have increased. And drivers will be hit even harder for speeding when the new, heavier, fines come into effect next week.
“It is important to remember not to handle your mobile phone or satnav while driving, no matter how tempting. If you need to change your route, having taken a wrong turn, find somewhere safe to park first.”
| How we rely on our satnavs today | % of drivers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| How to get to destination | 95% | ||
| Advising of road legal speed limit | 56% | ||
| Warning of an approaching speed camera | 55% | ||
| Warning of approaching traffic jams / congestion | 55% | ||
| Warning of upcoming road works | 53% | ||
| Alerting if exceeded the road legal speed limit | 50% |
Source: Uswitch.com research April 2017
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Rory Stoves
Phone: 020 3872 5613
Email: rory.stoves@uswitch.com
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Notes to editors
Research was conducted by Opinium from 31 March to 4 April 2017 among 1,783 UK adults with a driving licence.
When asked “Do you currently use either a satnav/smartphone/tablet to give you directions when driving?”, 17% answered “Yes, I use one all the time”, 43% answered “Yes, for longer journeys or places I don’t know”, 18% answered “Yes, but only now and again”. 17%+43%+18%=78%.
When asked “When using a satnav/smartphone/tablet while driving, have you experienced any of the following?”, 18% answered “My device gave me incorrect directions causing me to drive dangerously e.g. undertaking a U-turn, drove down a one-way street”.
When asked “When using a satnav/smartphone/tablet while driving, have you experienced any of the following?”, 17% answered “My device told me an incorrect legal speed limit”.
When asked “What do you believe is the legal speed limit for the following road types?”, 56% answered incorrectly for both “single carriageways” and “dual carriageways”. For full national speed limits, see here: https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits
When asked “How often do you update your satnav/smartphone/tablet so it has the latest road and travel information?”, 33% answered “I rarely update the device” and 25% answered “I have never updated the device”. 33%+25%=58%.
Speeding fines for the most serious cases in England and Wales will rise by up to 50% after a review of sentencing guidelines for magistrates' courts. Source: BBC
When asked “When using a satnav/smartphone/tablet while driving, where do you place the device?”, 6% answered “Placed on the passenger seat”, 3% answered “Placed behind the steering wheel”, 3% answered “Placed in the drinks holder”, 1% answered “Placed next to the gear stick”, 3% answered “Other”. 6%+3%+3%+1%+3%=16%.
When asked “To what extent do you agree with the following statement: More speed signs on Britain’s roads would help drivers keep to the legal speed limits”, 24% answered “strongly agree”, 32% answered “agree”. 24%+32%=56%.
Legislation introduced in April 2016 means local authorities can now make their own decisions on how many speed limit signs are needed so that drivers know what limits apply. Source: Road Safety GB, Source: gov.uk, Source: Road Safety Knowledge
Source: Sentencing Council
Using your mobile phone while driving will now result in six penalty points being added to your licence. If you’ve had your driver’s licence less than two years, you will lose your licence if you receive six penalty points. Source: gov.uk
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