1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182 
Sat-nay is no excuse for driving an LGV into a cul-de-sac or a bridge
Page 26
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
IT WAS WITH SOME amusement that I read the article on sat-nays this week (CM 19 April). I think I might have the solution to their problems.
I have my own navigation aid. It cost me £9.99, not the several hundred pounds for a sat-nay device. Its durability has been proved by being dropped, having coffee spilt over it and handled by oily, grubby fingers. Furthermore, it has, so far at least, not needed any outside power source.
It has a handy and comprehensive list that directs you to the correct page. Once there the coloured roads give an indication as to the standard of road and the large area covered allows simple route planning. Even better, it has bridges marked with their heights. Even if the height isn't marked on the page, it at least shows where railways cross roads and a bridge is therefore likely.
It does, of course, have its limitations.After all, for a mere £9.99 it would be unfair to expect perfection. It has for over 30 years failed to get me wedged under bridges or in villages, or even been responsible for me being on weight limited roads.
It has also been inconsiderate enough to make me responsible for where my lorry goes,instead of blaming some electronic device.
Blaming sat-nay for driving into cul-de-sacs, not seeing a bridge in time to be able to stop, or driving inside weight limits is simply not an acceptable excuse.The problems that have arisen have absolutely nothing to do with restrictions not being mapped into sat-nav.They are entirely due to drivers, (supposedly professionals) not using their own eyes and common sense.
Roy Latin By e-mail