Majority of Drivers Say GPS Has Led Them Astray

Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — GPS has certainly taken the pressure off drivers from having to ask for directions when they don’t know where they’re going, but a new survey reveals the technology is often inaccurate.

A survey of 2,220 adults conducted by Harris Interactive for Michelin Travel and Lifestyle finds 63 percent say GPS has led them astray at least once by pointing them in the wrong direction or creating confusing and complex travel routes.

Overall, drivers who use GPS say it has taken them off track an average of 4.4 times.  Younger drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 say they have been misdirected by GPS an average of 6.3 times.  Seven percent of U.S. drivers who use GPS have been led astray by the technology more than 10 times.

Ther survey also finds that GPS is the primary travel aid for 30 percent of U.S. adults, but it ranks second to a combination of resources that includes maps, printed directions and guide books.  That combination of physical resources is relied on primarily by nearly 40 percent of Americans who travel to unfamiliar destinations.

The survey found that 19 percent of drivers rely on a smartphone or tablet device, while 6 percent say they rely on verbal directions they get from locals.  Three percent say they rely on nothing at all to find their way around unfamiliar locations.

Additional findings:

• Using GPS as a primary guide is most popular in the Northeast, with 35 percent of drivers using it to navigate when traveling.  Just 25 percent of drivers in the West rely primarily on GPS.
• 46 percent of U.S. drivers still keep road maps and atlases in their vehicles.
• Male drivers are more likely to primarily use GPS than women when traveling to a new location, 35 percent compared to 26 percent, respectively.

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