Sat Nav’s are becoming increasingly popular and so are the driver errors associated with them. Follow our tips to make sure you are not fooled.

• Updates – New roads are being built and road layouts changed all the time – update your sat nav regularly to make sure you will receive correct directions.

• Check Your Destination – You enter your destination, press ok a couple of times and you are on your way, but did you check it? There are thousands of duplicate town names in our country make sure you select the correct one and don’t end up making a very long detor!

• Don’t Touch Whilst Driving – Always programme your sat nav before you start your journey and if you need to make an adjustment  – pull over and stop to do so.

• Trust Your Instinct – People have driven into rivers and onto railway tracks ‘because the sat nav told me so’, if your instinct says the sat nav is wrong, trust it and find an alternative route.

• Read the Road Signs – Always read road signs to ensure you are on the right route and remember, the signs have been placed there with specific local information which the sat nav might not be aware of (even if it is updated!)

• Don’t Switch Off – If you have an accident due to following the instructions of a sat nav over paying due care and attention to driving your vehicle – it will be your fault. Stay switched on and focused.

• Prize Possession – Your sat nav may be your prized possession but remember it will only take a few minutes for it to be stolen. Never leave your sat nav in your vehicle, certainly never leave it on display and remember to clean off the ‘ring’ left on the windscreen – thieves aren’t stupid.

• Clear Ahead – Make sure your sat nav is well positioned and is not blocking your view of the road.

• Listen Don’t Look – When you are at busy roundabouts or junctions, listen to the instructions given by the sat nav so you can look at the road markings, signs and other road users and not be distracted by looking at the screen.

• Trusty Paper – Always keep a recent map in the car for those times when either your sat nav is out of battery or when you just want to go back to basics.