Misplaced Trust

When it works, SatNav technology is almost magical. When it doesn’t, then the road to Hell beckons. Michael Bywater, in this piece for the Independent last week, sums up the failings, and the inevitable gnashing of teeth, very well. During our trip last weekend we tasted both the good and the bad. It navigated us to our hotel excellently, but when directing us to our friends’ house told us confidently at one point to turn right. Luckily, I saw the bollards in time, and carried straight on instead of wrecking the car.

 

In most cases, this is simply fodder for humour, but there can also be serious consequences. A few months back, our neighbour (a widow living alone) fell ill in the middle of the night, and she called the ambulance out. They relied on their SatNav, which frankly, led them up a dead end in the middle of nowhere. They eventually managed to retrace their tracks, and find the correct road to the farm by following the old-fashioned signposts that said quite clearly that if you want to reach this farm, then don’t go that way, but go this way instead. Luckily, in this particular case, time was not of the essence. Although the delay certainly prolonged her pain, it could so easily have been more serious. I have sent in a correction to the navigation data, but as of the last check, nothing has changed. I hope it does before the next time that the widow has cause to call for an ambulance.

 

It’s the old story, GIGO.