GPS tells driver to turn right: onto train tracks !

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080104/NEWS02/801040377

Some silicon valley guy in new york state relied on his GPS to not get
lost in this unfamiliar territory.

When his GPS told him to turn right, he did so.... He ended up on train
tracks, stuck. And the next commuter train that came totaled his car.
(no injuries).

(One has to wonder whether the driver might have possibly noticed the
train crossing signals, but it shows how dangerous those GPS units can
be when unleashed to the masses who blindly follow what their GPS tells
them to do).

One also wonders why the guy didn't dial 911 right away to advise of a
car stuck on tracks.

You have to be careful to not state that "GPS" told him to do
something. It was a GPS unit/receiver that may have provided
directions. Ultimately the driver is responible for using GPS derived
information as an aid and not blindly follow those directions.

Common sense folks.

Ron Lee

Isn't very common anymore.

Ron Lee wrote:

Common Sense is uncommonly uncommon.

Ted

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080104/NEWS02/801040377

Yet another half-baked story designed to give satnav systems a bad name -
while the real problem is driver stupidity!

It's very unlikely that the satnav 'thought' that the rail track was a road.
Much more likely that there *was* a road just after the crossing, and that
if the driver had looked at the displayed map he would have seen where he
was supposed to go.

Even when satnavs get it wrong (and mine thinks that a farm track near where
I live is still a road even though it ceased to be one over 30 years ago),
there's no excuse for blindly following their directions when it defies
common sense.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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