The Consumers’ Foundation yesterday urged the public not to become over-reliant on GPS navigation devices to avoid potentially fatal accidents that may result from following GPS directions.
The consumer rights watchdog cited media reports about an incident in October last year, when a man driving his family while on vacation in Hualien was following directions given by his GPS system when they encountered fast flooding from a nearby river. Although the man managed to escape to safety, his 28-year-old daughter went missing in the flood.
The foundation said that consumers who use navigation systems should still keep alert and not rely too much on the gadget.
Photo: CNA
Foundation chairperson Joann Su (蘇錦霞) said that one of the most common problems that consumers have with navigation devices is that they neglect to keep the map updated. As a general rule, the navigation system should be updated at least once every two years, otherwise the driver may encounter problems, such as imprecise positioning or errors in driving directions, she said.
Drivers who become too reliant on the navigation devices and neglect to use their common sense when driving may make mistakes when driving or even risk getting themselves into dangerous situations, she said. For example, drivers who spend too much time focusing on the screen that displays the map or driving directions may fail to notice approaching vehicles or other objects and cause traffic accidents.
Imprecise navigation systems may also cause the GPS to report that the car is in a river when the vehicle is actually on a bridge, so it is unwise to trust the navigator to be 100 percent accurate, Su said.
Su advised drivers to reset the system when encountering problems with the navigation system by starting the positioning over or choosing a different route. Another way to avoid getting misguided is to check print or online maps ahead of time rather than being led blindly by the navigation device, she said.
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