Drivers’ love-hate relationship with sat-navs sees more than three quarters ignore directions to beat the ETA
The majority of drivers use a sat-nav, but just one third (35%) have a high degree of trust in their device and have taken matters into their own hands to reach their destination sooner
Sat-navs … most drivers use them, but the majority don’t fully trust them. So much so that many are constantly disregarding directions and following their gut instinct in a bid to beat the often-exasperating ETA.
And for eight-in-10 drivers (84%), the gamble paid off as they managed to get to their destination quicker than what their sat-nav predicted, according to research from the RAC.
The survey, which polled 1,601 drivers in the UK*, found that 91% use a sat-nav, with 8% steadfastly using one on every journey, 30% on most trips, and 53% using it occasionally.
Popular sat-nav gripes included users complaining that their devices don’t always detect upcoming traffic jams (52%), as well as getting sent down small, narrow roads (44%).
Worryingly, one-in-10 (11%) sat-nav users got sent down a one-way street the wrong way, risking a head-on collision.
And one fifth (19%) almost got stuck after their sat-nav sent them down a dead end that was hard to reverse out of.
Despite the drawbacks, one-in-10 (12%) confessed to following the instructions on their sat-nav without question.
The majority, 89%, preferred to take sat-nav instructions with a pinch of salt, sometimes ignoring them to get to their destination.
Free phone apps, such as Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps are the most popular form of sat-nav drivers use, with more than half (53%) choosing this form of technology to guide their journeys.
Another 35% use a sat-nav that is built into the car, while 9% use a separate sat-nav unit that they attach to the dashboard or windscreen, a popular choice among drivers aged 65 and over.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Harriet Hernando said: “Sat-navs are used by the majority of drivers, and can be a useful tool to help us get from A to B. But what this data shows is that people shouldn’t blindly follow the directions but continue to pay close attention to road signage and tap into any local knowledge they have of the area.
“While it’s tempting to just jump in the car and punch in the postcode on your chosen sat-nav and follow along, it’s best to look at the journey more closely on the myRAC app route planner before setting off so you have a good idea of where you’re going and what routes you could take depending on the traffic. You can also use the Fuel Finder tool to refuel at the cheapest price.
“Worryingly, one-in-10 said their sat-navs sent them down a one-way road the wrong way, risking a head-on collision. With several fatalities attributed to sat-navs, it’s important to pay attention to road signage and ensure devices are fully updated with the latest changes to the road network.”
In November 2024 Google and Apple agreed to amend their audio prompts after a double fatal crash appeared to have been caused by incorrect directions from a sat-nav.
The driver drove the wrong way along the A5 near Milton Keynes after following audio directions from her sat-nav resulting in a head-on collision where both drivers tragically died.
Prime Minister moves to end subscription traps, with new “easy to exit” rules brought forward to help consumers cancel easily and prevent them losing more money
He is also taking action to tackle misleading discounts and rip off prices that fleece customers
This is just the start of a series of ‘everyday fixes’ that will be announced to ease the cost of living and give families room to breathe
The Prime Minister has announced that he will be rolling out a series of ‘everyday fixes’ to help people with the cost of living.
Pretend prices and deceptive deals will be a thing of the past under the Prime Minister’s plans to ban retailers from making misleading claims to customers about discounts.
Shoppers have increasingly complained about outlets artificially inflating prices to give a false sense of value, such as increasing them only to then immediately advertise ‘discounts’ to make savings look larger than they really are.
This includes discounted prices being the same as they were before the discount, intended to trick consumers into thinking they are getting good value whilst saving them nothing and creating an uneven playing field for honest competitors.
The Prime Minister also wants to see an end to subscription traps, where people find it hard to cancel their subscriptions and contracts are automatically renewed at a higher cost. New rules will now come into force in January 2027, in time for when customers often start new subscriptions for the year ahead.
These proposals were previously announced by Burnham’s predecessor Sir Keir Starmer, who promised to introduce new rules in Spring 2027.
Saving an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription, the changes will mean businesses will need to provide clearer up-front information, regular reminders and a much easier exit to contracts. A new 14-day cooling-off period will also let consumers cancel after a trial or long-term contract renews.
With households still watching every pound, it’s right to act to restore fairness. There are around 155 million active subscriptions in the UK, with consumers spending an estimated £1.6 billion a year on ones they don’t actually want, a direct hit to family budgets.
For the many businesses who already give customers plenty of notice before subscriptions renew and make contacts easy to leave, very little is changing. They will benefit from clearer rules and a more level playing field, without being undercut by competitors who have more complicated processes that rip off consumers.
Certain charitable memberships for cultural and heritage organisations will be excluded from the new subscription rules given the unique role they have in preserving and opening up access to the nation’s history, landscapes, and cultural collections.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “I know people are sick and tired of rip-off discounts and subscription traps. Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life.
I don’t think that’s right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many people’s lives. I’m determined to pull every single lever we can to provide people with some room to breathe on the cost of living.
“We’re putting an end to phoney bargains. If something is advertised as half price, it should actually be half price. We’re also making it as easy to leave a subscription as it is to join.
“These are just two of the everyday fixes we’re going to be rolling out – today is just the start. We want to put more money in people’s pockets and give people hope that politics really can work for them and their everyday lives.”
The Prime Minister is ‘determined to use every chance he gets’ to restore fairness and take pressure off people. This is the start of a series of practical, everyday fixes that will put more money in people’s pockets, give them greater peace of mind, and make life a little easier.
This follows his week-one action to cap bus fares and make energy bills more affordable for millions of households.
A consultation will launch this autumn to assess whether tactics such as fake “was” prices, invented discounts and misleading recommended retail prices (RRPs) should be added to the list of practices banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA).
Under current laws, it can be difficult for enforcers to take on these cases. Adding these tactics to this list would mean they will automatically be considered unfair, making it easier to crack down while making rules simpler for businesses to follow.
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “There’s nothing worse than realising you’ve been fleeced by a dodgy deal, or seen money leaving your account because of a subscription you didn’t want to renew or couldn’t easily cancel.
“This Government is on the side of families working hard to make ends meet, while making sure the rules are clear for businesses and easy to follow.”
Sue Davies MBE, Head of Consumer Rights Policy at Which?, said: Which? has repeatedly exposed businesses, including trusted household brands, ripping off customers with dodgy deals that aren’t what they seem – but regulators have often found it too difficult to take action.
“It’s great news that the government intends to tighten up the law and explicitly ban misleading pricing practices, while putting an end to subscription traps.
“The government must implement these rules swiftly to give consumers much-needed protection against sneaky pricing tactics and hold businesses to account with tough enforcement, including fines, if they fall short.”
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “For too long consumers have been tricked into paying for products or services they don’t use – or didn’t even want to begin with – costing millions of pounds each year. So we really welcome the government’s move to speed up action on subscription traps and look at banning other tactics firms use to catch consumers out.
“At Citizens Advice, we’ve sounded the alarm on this for years, because we know subscription traps and sneaky online practices that hit consumers’ pockets hard are a widespread problem. We previously found that over 13 million people (26% of UK adults) accidentally took out a subscription in a year.
“People shouldn’t have to waste their time and effort avoiding dubious online tactics and fixing unwanted purchases and sign-ups. Today’s announcement is an important move, but it can’t be the end of the story.
“We look forward to seeing the detail in the consultation on deceptive online pricing and how it will ensure consumers are protected and treated fairly.”
Helen Undy OBE, CEO of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: “It can be hard for anyone to spot a misleading discount, but this is particularly difficult for people with mental health problems who can struggle with concentration, impulsivity and decision-making, which can make it harder to resist pressure selling tactics and compare prices to get a fair deal.
“This group is already at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis – people with mental health problems are three times as likely to currently be behind on some or all household bills – so it’s good news that the government is taking action to help tight budgets go further, and it’s important that it happens quickly.
“It’s also encouraging to see that the subscription trap protections will be brought forward. We know that the symptoms of mental health problems such as increased impulsivity and memory problems, can contribute to someone signing up without realising and forgetting about a subscription. We’ve long argued that it should be as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up – and as ever the proof will be in how companies put this into practice.
“Today’s announcement is good news – however, subscription traps and misleading discounts are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unfair practices that make it harder to get a fair deal when you’re struggling with your mental health.
“We look forward to working with the government to see what further action can be taken in future.”
