Driving With A Sat Nav

Using a sat nav has become an essential part of modern driving, helping to guide drivers through unfamiliar routes and making travel more efficient.

However, like any tool, it’s important to use it correctly to ensure both safety and effectiveness.

This guide will provide comprehensive tips on how to use a sat nav effectively, from setting it up before you start driving to making the most of it while you’re on the road.

Before You Start Driving

Preparation is key when using a sat nav. Ensuring that everything is set up correctly before you start your journey can save you a lot of hassle and help you focus on driving.

Make Sure It’s in the Right Place

Positioning your sat nav correctly is crucial for both visibility and safety. The sat nav should be placed where you can easily glance at it without taking your eyes off the road for too long.

Common positions include on the dashboard or the windscreen, using a suction cup mount.

UK laws are strict about where you can place your sat nav. It must not obstruct your view of the road.

Using devices hands-free

You can use devices with hands-free access, as long as you do not hold them at any time during usage. Hands-free access means using, for example:

• a Bluetooth headset
• voice command
• a dashboard holder or mat
• a windscreen mount
• a built-in sat nav

The device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.

Many drivers opt to place it in the bottom right-hand corner of the windscreen or on a dedicated holder attached to the dashboard.

Always ensure that the position complies with the law and allows for easy viewing without causing any distractions.

Input Your Route

Before setting off, input your destination into the sat nav. Most modern devices allow you to enter a postcode, street name, or even points of interest such as restaurants or petrol stations. This can be done manually or, in some models, via voice command.

Entering your route in advance helps you understand the planned journey and any potential traffic issues that might arise.

If your device supports it, inputting waypoints can also help you avoid traffic jams or find the most efficient route.

This proactive approach ensures that you are prepared for the trip ahead and reduces the likelihood of needing to reprogram the device while driving.

Turn It Up

Make sure the volume of your sat nav is set to an appropriate level. You need to be able to hear instructions clearly over any background noise such as music or conversations.

Most sat navs have adjustable volume settings, so test it out before you start driving.

If your sat nav is connected to your car’s audio system, ensure it overrides other audio inputs when giving directions.

This setup ensures that you won’t miss any important instructions, particularly in noisy environments or during complex manoeuvres.

Check the Battery

If your sat nav relies on a battery, ensure it is fully charged before you begin your journey. Running out of power midway through a trip can leave you stranded without directions.

For longer journeys, consider bringing a car charger. Many sat navs can be powered via the car’s 12V socket or a USB port.

Keeping your device charged ensures continuous guidance and prevents the inconvenience of losing navigation support when you need it most.

Ensure It Has a Clear View of the Sky

A sat nav works by communicating with satellites to determine your location. For this reason, it’s essential to place your device where it has a clear view of the sky.

Obstructions such as tall buildings, dense foliage, or even the car’s roof can interfere with the signal.

If you notice your sat nav struggling to find or maintain a signal, reposition it. Some modern cars come with built-in sat nav systems that are designed to mitigate these issues, but portable devices can be sensitive to their surroundings.

Ensuring a clear view of the sky helps maintain a consistent signal and accurate positioning throughout your journey.

While You’re on the Road

Using a sat nav effectively while driving involves a balance between following directions and maintaining safe driving practices. Here are some key points to consider:

Don’t Get Too Distracted

While a sat nav is a helpful tool, it’s essential not to let it become a distraction. Keep your primary focus on the road and use the sat nav as a secondary aid.

Glance at the screen only when necessary and rely more on the voice instructions.

If you find yourself frequently looking at the device, it might be worth reconsidering its placement or adjusting the settings to make the voice commands more prominent.

Distracted driving is dangerous and can lead to accidents, so always prioritise road awareness over checking your sat nav.

Be Sensible

Your sat nav is a guide, not an infallible authority. Use common sense when following its directions.

Sometimes the suggested route might not make sense due to local conditions such as roadworks, temporary closures, or traffic accidents.

If the sat nav tells you to take a turn that seems unsafe or impractical, trust your judgement.

For instance, if a road appears to be closed or there’s a visible obstacle, find an alternative route.

Additionally, always follow local traffic laws and signs over the sat nav instructions.

Sensible use of the sat nav involves combining its guidance with your own driving experience and awareness of current conditions.

Pull Over if Necessary

If you need to reprogram your sat nav or check the map in detail, always pull over to a safe location. Trying to fiddle with the device while driving can lead to dangerous distractions.

Find a safe place to stop, such as a lay-by, car park, or side street, before making any adjustments.

This ensures you remain focused on driving when you’re on the move and reduces the risk of accidents caused by inattention. Remember, your safety and the safety of others on the road are paramount.

Don’t Rely on It Too Much

While a sat nav is incredibly useful, don’t become overly reliant on it. It’s important to have a basic understanding of your route and surroundings.

Familiarise yourself with major landmarks and directions, and carry a physical map as a backup.

Technology can fail; signals can be lost, batteries can die, and devices can malfunction. In such cases, having a rough idea of your location and a backup plan can save you a lot of trouble.

Additionally, understanding your general direction helps you stay oriented and confident, even if the sat nav temporarily lets you down.

Practice Makes Perfect

Using a sat nav effectively can take some practice. Don’t be discouraged if you find it challenging at first. The more you use it, the more comfortable you’ll become with its features and operation.

Start with short trips to get used to the device, learning how it gives instructions and how to interpret them while driving.

Over time, you’ll develop a natural rhythm for glancing at the screen, listening to directions, and making timely adjustments.

Practising in familiar areas can help you gain confidence before relying on the sat nav for longer or more complex journeys.

Understanding Sat Nav Features

Modern sat navs come equipped with a variety of features designed to enhance your driving experience and provide more comprehensive navigation assistance.

Familiarising yourself with these features can help you make better use of your device and ensure smoother journeys.

Traffic Updates

One of the most valuable features of a sat nav is real-time traffic updates. This function uses live data to inform you of traffic jams, roadworks, and accidents along your route. By receiving these updates, you can avoid congested areas and save time.

Some sat navs automatically adjust your route based on traffic conditions, while others may provide alerts and suggest alternative paths.

Ensuring your sat nav is connected to a reliable data source, either via a SIM card, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth through your smartphone, will maximise the effectiveness of traffic updates.

Alternative Routes

In addition to providing traffic updates, many sat navs offer alternative routes. This feature is particularly useful if you encounter unexpected road closures or heavy traffic.

Your device can quickly calculate new paths to help you reach your destination more efficiently.

When starting your journey, some sat navs allow you to choose from several route options based on your preferences, such as the fastest route, the shortest distance, or routes avoiding toll roads.

Being aware of these alternatives can help you make informed decisions about your travel plans.

Speed Limit Warnings

Speed limit warnings are a crucial safety feature found in many sat navs. These alerts inform you of the current speed limit and warn you if you exceed it.

This function can help you avoid speeding fines and, more importantly, maintain safe driving practices.

Some devices display the speed limit on the screen, while others provide audible warnings.

Ensuring your sat nav has the latest map updates is essential for this feature to work correctly, as speed limits can change over time.

Points of Interest

Points of Interest (POIs) are pre-loaded locations that might be of interest during your journey, such as restaurants, petrol stations, hotels, tourist attractions, and more.

This feature allows you to find convenient stops along your route without needing to perform extensive searches.

By selecting POIs on your sat nav, you can quickly get directions to nearby amenities, making it easier to plan stops for fuel, food, or rest.

Some devices even categorise POIs, so you can easily find what you need based on your current priorities.

Lane Guidance

Lane guidance is a feature designed to help you navigate complex road layouts, especially at junctions and roundabouts.

This function provides visual and sometimes audible instructions on which lane you should be in to make your next turn or exit.

This is particularly useful in busy urban areas or on multi-lane motorways where missing a lane change can lead to significant delays.

Lane guidance helps ensure that you are in the correct lane well in advance, reducing last-minute manoeuvres and improving overall driving safety.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Despite their many benefits, sat navs can sometimes experience problems. Understanding how to troubleshoot common issues can help you maintain reliable performance and avoid frustration during your journeys.

Signal Loss

Signal loss can occur when your sat nav cannot communicate with the necessary satellites. This is often due to obstructions like tall buildings, dense forests, or tunnels.

To mitigate signal loss, ensure your sat nav has a clear view of the sky as much as possible. If you frequently experience signal issues, consider updating your device’s software or using an external GPS antenna to improve reception.

Inaccurate Positioning

Inaccurate positioning can be frustrating and may cause you to miss turns or take wrong routes. This problem often arises from outdated maps or software glitches.

Regularly updating your sat nav’s maps and software is the best way to ensure accurate positioning.

If the problem persists, try restarting the device or performing a factory reset. Additionally, ensure your sat nav is correctly mounted and receiving a strong GPS signal.

Recalculation Delays

When you deviate from the planned route, your sat nav should quickly recalculate a new path.

However, recalculation delays can occur, leaving you without clear directions temporarily.

To reduce these delays, keep your sat nav’s software updated and minimise the number of active applications if you’re using a smartphone-based system.

Ensuring a strong and stable GPS signal also helps the device recalculate routes more efficiently.

Software Glitches

Like any electronic device, sat navs can experience software glitches that affect their performance. These might include frozen screens, unresponsive buttons, or unexpected shutdowns.

Regular software updates often include fixes for known bugs and glitches, so keeping your device up to date is essential.

If you encounter a persistent problem, restarting the device or performing a factory reset can often resolve the issue.

For severe or recurrent issues, contacting the manufacturer’s support service may be necessary.

Screen Brightness Adjustments

Driving in different lighting conditions can make it difficult to see your sat nav’s screen. Screen brightness adjustments are crucial for maintaining visibility, whether you’re driving in bright sunlight or at night.

Most sat navs offer automatic brightness adjustments based on ambient light levels.

However, you can usually manually adjust the brightness in the settings menu. Ensuring the screen is neither too bright nor too dim helps you read directions easily without causing eye strain or distractions.

Safety Tips for Using a Sat Nav

While a sat nav can greatly enhance your driving experience, it’s important to use it safely to avoid distractions and ensure a smooth journey. Here are some essential safety tips to keep in mind.

Mounting Guidelines

Proper mounting of your sat nav is critical for both visibility and safety. Ensure the device is securely attached to the windscreen or dashboard in a position that does not obstruct your view of the road.

In the UK, the Highway Code stipulates that your sat nav must not block your view or distract you while driving.

Download the Highway Code PDF

A common placement is in the bottom right-hand corner of the windscreen or on a mount attached to the dashboard.

Make sure the device is within easy reach so you can operate it without having to stretch or take your eyes off the road for too long.

Audio vs Visual Directions

Many sat navs offer both audio and visual directions. To minimise distractions, it’s often best to rely more on audio instructions. This allows you to keep your eyes on the road while still receiving guidance.

Adjust the volume to ensure you can hear the instructions clearly over any background noise. Visual directions can be used as a supplementary aid, but your primary focus should always remain on driving safely.

Legal Requirements

Understanding the legal requirements for using a sat nav in the UK is essential to avoid fines and penalties. The device must be positioned legally, and you must not operate it while driving.

Penalties

You can get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if you hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send and receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle.

You’ll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years.

You can get 3 penalty points if you do not have a full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle.

You can also be taken to court where you can:

• be banned from driving or riding
• get a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if you’re driving a lorry or bus)

Using a handheld device for navigation is illegal and can result in severe penalties. If you need to adjust your sat nav, always pull over to a safe location.

Familiarise yourself with the latest Highway Code regulations to ensure you comply with all legal requirements.

Safe Stops for Adjustments

If you need to make adjustments to your sat nav or reprogram your route, always make a safe stop. This means pulling over to a designated stopping area such as a lay-by, petrol station, or car park.

Avoid stopping on the hard shoulder of a motorway or in any place where stopping could pose a danger to you or other road users.

Planning your route in advance and making necessary adjustments before you set off can reduce the need for mid-journey stops.

Sharing Directions with Passengers

If you have passengers, involve them in sharing directions to minimise distractions. They can assist by reading out directions or making adjustments to the sat nav as needed.

This can be particularly useful on longer journeys or in complex driving environments where multiple changes to the route may be required.

A cooperative approach ensures you remain focused on driving while still benefiting from the sat nav’s guidance.

Choosing the Right Sat Nav

Selecting the right sat nav for your needs involves considering various factors, from the type of device to its features and cost. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.

Types of Sat Navs

There are several types of sat navs available, each catering to different needs and preferences:

• Standalone devices: These are dedicated sat nav units that you can mount in your car. They are often more reliable and come with larger screens and more features compared to smartphone apps.
• Built-in car systems: Some vehicles come with factory-installed sat nav systems integrated into the dashboard. These systems offer seamless integration with the car’s other features but can be costly to update.
• Smartphone apps: Many people use their smartphones as sat navs. Apps like Google Maps and Waze provide navigation services and are often updated more frequently than standalone devices.

Key Features to Look For

When choosing a sat nav, consider the following key features to ensure it meets your needs:

• Map updates: Look for a device that offers regular and free map updates to keep your navigation information current.
• Traffic updates: Real-time traffic information can help you avoid delays and find the fastest routes.
• Lane guidance: This feature is particularly useful for navigating complex junctions and roundabouts.
• Speed limit alerts: Notifications when you exceed the speed limit help you maintain safe driving practices.
• Points of Interest (POIs): These can help you find nearby amenities such as petrol stations, restaurants, and hotels.

Comparing Brands

Several well-known brands offer reliable sat navs with various features. When comparing brands, consider the following:

• TomTom: Known for their user-friendly interfaces and accurate maps. They offer a wide range of devices to suit different budgets and needs.
• Garmin: Offers robust devices with a focus on outdoor and adventure navigation, as well as in-car navigation systems.
• Navman: Provides affordable options with essential features, suitable for everyday use.
• Google Maps/Waze: As smartphone apps, these are constantly updated and offer extensive features, including user-generated traffic updates and POIs.

Budget Considerations

Budget considerations are important when choosing a sat nav. Prices can range from under £100 for basic models to several hundred pounds for advanced devices with premium features.

• Entry-level models: Typically cost-effective, offering essential navigation features suitable for casual users.
• Mid-range models: Provide a good balance of features and affordability, ideal for regular drivers who need reliable navigation.
• Premium models: These come with extensive features such as live traffic updates, Bluetooth connectivity, and detailed lane guidance, suitable for frequent travellers and those needing advanced navigation capabilities.

Reviews and Recommendations

Before making a purchase, it’s helpful to read reviews and recommendations from other users and experts. Websites such as Which?, TechRadar, and Trusted Reviews offer comprehensive evaluations of various sat navs.

Look for reviews that discuss the device’s ease of use, accuracy, and reliability. Personal recommendations from friends or family who have used the device can also provide valuable insights.

By considering multiple sources of feedback, you can choose a sat nav that best meets your needs and preferences.

Once You’ve Stopped

After a journey with your sat nav, there are several important steps to ensure it remains in good condition and ready for your next trip.

Proper care and maintenance can extend the lifespan of your device and keep it functioning optimally.

Take It Out of the Car When You’re Done

One of the most crucial steps is to take it out of the car when you’re done driving.

Leaving your sat nav in the vehicle can expose it to extreme temperatures, which can damage the device. Additionally, a visible sat nav can attract thieves.

Remove the device from its mount and store it securely when not in use. This practice not only protects your sat nav from potential damage or theft but also ensures that it is readily available for your next journey.

Make Sure You Charge It

Ensuring your sat nav is fully charged is essential for its operation. After a long journey, especially if you’ve been using battery power, make sure you charge it.

Most sat navs can be charged using a standard USB cable connected to a power source, such as a wall adapter or a computer.

Regular charging keeps the battery healthy and ensures that your device is always ready for use.

If your sat nav has a removable battery, consider keeping a spare battery charged as well.

Don’t Forget to Check for Updates

Regular updates are critical for maintaining the accuracy and functionality of your sat nav. Don’t forget to check for updates periodically.

These updates often include the latest maps, traffic information, and software improvements.

Most manufacturers provide updates through their websites or dedicated software. Connect your sat nav to your computer and follow the instructions to download and install the updates.

Keeping your device up-to-date ensures you have the most current information and features available.

Clean the Screen and Mount

Over time, dust and fingerprints can accumulate on the screen and mount of your sat nav. It’s important to clean the screen and mount regularly to maintain clear visibility and ensure the suction mount remains effective.

Use a soft, lint-free cloth to wipe the screen gently. For tougher grime, a mild screen cleaner can be used, but avoid harsh chemicals that could damage the device.

Clean the mount with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or residue, ensuring it maintains a strong grip on your dashboard or windscreen.

Store It Safely

When not in use, store it safely to protect it from damage. Use a protective case to shield it from scratches, dust, and impacts.

Choose a storage location that is cool, dry, and away from direct sunlight. Avoid leaving it in places where it could be accidentally knocked or dropped.

Proper storage practices extend the lifespan of your sat nav and keep it functioning well for years to come.

By following these steps, you can ensure your sat nav remains in excellent condition, providing reliable service every time you hit the road.

Regular care and maintenance are key to getting the most out of this invaluable driving aid.

Frequently asked questions