WTF?: We Can't Trust Our GPS Systems?

OK, we know how useful you're finding your sat/nav system, but please ignore it. That seems to be the message being sent to motorists passing through the village of Exton in Hampshire. Seems the navi tells drivers to take a road that is just 6 feet wide. Not a problem for most, but for drivers of large vehicles, especially trucks (or lorries, as the Brits call them), the result is usually a stuck rig. So the town has put up the country's first signs warning drivers to explicitly ignore their systems.

Poor Beacon Hill Lane has had its fill of flattened bushes and flowerbeds. So the residents pressured the council to do something about it. The council put up the signs last year and the residents have said it has improved the situation markedly. It's scary when obeying technology overrides our common sense, but this seems to be a trend. Cell phones are an obvious target, but GPS has been to blame in France already, and German motorists seem to be particularly adept at driving off piers or into construction sites when prompted by the voice in the box. Let's be careful out there, folks.

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MercBasher - 2/27/2007 5:17:27 PM

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and as good as the users' common sense

S4cabriofoxone - 2/27/2007 5:29:03 PM

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Well, considering I don't live near Exton in Hampshire, I can sleep easily tonight.

mstangpny07 - 2/27/2007 7:10:45 PM

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And once you get to that sign in your huge truck, how do you suppose you turn around?

XYZZ - 2/28/2007 3:07:41 AM

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LOL! I RECALL staying at a house on a narrow road in hawaii. altho' narrow and windy, the road also was a BYPASS for a major highwar.

one day, a tractor trailer rig came down, and realized he would NOT be able to make one of the bends. he had to back up about 3/4 mile before he could even turn around!

XYZZ - 2/28/2007 3:11:06 AM

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major highway.

p.s. there were several cars that followed him down. they ALL had to back up too, prob'ly cursing the idiot trucker all the way! (altho' THEY could back into driveways and garages.)