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I was, quite frankly, gobsmacked this week to read that over 11 million drivers cannot read a basic road map...
I was, quite frankly, gobsmacked this week to read that over 11 million drivers cannot read a basic road map. According to research carried out by insurance firm esure, 83% of 1000 drivers questioned even failed to identify a motorway symbol. For a nation that relies on motor transport to help run the country on a daily basis, this paints a worrying picture.
Even with the widespread use of satnav, over 36 billion wasted miles are driven by lost motorists each year. That's 260 miles per motorist! When you translate that into working hours, the impact on businesses is significant, let alone the cost of fuel involved and excess CO2 emissions.
The real question is: how have we let this happen? I know the majority of drivers haven't picked up a highway code since passing their test, but this kind of information should be ingrained on the brain of any road driver. It would be interesting to pin-point the specific age-group with the highest map-reading skill failure; we all assume that experienced drivers have a good level of basic knowledge when it comes to road awareness but could the more experienced drivers have forgotten the meaning of even the simplest road symbols?
The other worrying question is: are these drivers trying to read maps behind the wheel? As many of you will know, the extension to the Road Safety Act, introduced on 27 February this year, dictates that any driver caught reading documents behind the wheel could face a £60 and 3 penalty points, if police deem the driver to be out of control of their vehicle. Whilst it's an easy temptation when you're in a rush to just grab a map and try to read it whilst negotiating your way through unfamiliar streets, best practice should always be to pull over and take a break. You have even less chance of reading a map properly if you are under pressure and trying to drive at the same time and it's not worth risking a fine and points!
The best way to avoid getting lost and panicking when you're driving on business is to plan ahead. Although you may be happy with your map reading skills, it appears 11 million drivers aren't, so therefore it will surely come as no surprise that 'Journey Planning' is still increasingly important for fleet managers and business drivers across the UK. Effective 'Journey Planning' is the only way to reduce those wasted miles drivers travel when they are lost.
Don't rely solely on satnav as you never know when changed road conditions might leave you needing an alternative. Read a map and/or print off directions before you leave the office, if you have trouble with the route ask a colleague who may be more familiar with it. Judging by the recent statistics you won't be the only one in the dark when it comes to working out a motorway from a railway line.
Maybe we could all do with a little brush-up on our map-reading skills!
Until next time,
Mike
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