According to research by the U.K's Automobile Association (AA) though, if you're a map user you're more likely to reach your destination than if you've been using satellite navigation.
The AA found that 52 percent of drivers aged between 18 and 24 own a sat nav compared to 28 percent of those over 65. 95 percent of the older group carry a road atlas with them to help navigate and over half of them manage to successfully arrive at their destination.
In contrast, a whopping 82 percent of 18-24 year olds have been lost in the past year, despite the electronic trickery. The AA has discovered that younger drivers are much more reliant on technology to guide them, but when the tech gets it wrong they don't have a contingency plan.
AA President Edmund King said "Younger drivers who rely on modern technology for their navigational needs are the most prone to losing their way... They have become too reliant on technology telling them what to do." He adds that drivers who use a map can see the bigger picture, and if necessary make other plans should a route be closed or congested.
60 percent of the AA's 16,850-person sample have wound up lost in the past year.
Our solution? Combine old and new. Satellite navigation is a thorougly useful invention, but it's worth planning your route beforehand and having a good old-fashioned road map handy, just in case...
