Nearly nine in ten British motorists are unable to name the roads around their own homes, according to a new survey that highlights the impact of satellite navigation systems on local knowledge. The poll of 2,500 drivers, conducted by car sales firm Peter Vardy Ltd, found that 89 per cent could not identify the majority of streets in their immediate neighbourhood.
The study also revealed that 84 per cent of commuters did not know the names of the roads they used to travel to work. Only 14 per cent of participants passed a basic geography test of Britain, which required them to locate ten cities including Inverness, Aberdeen, Durham, York, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leicester, Oxford and Bath.
Despite 56 per cent of those surveyed stating they trusted traditional maps more than sat navs, 76 per cent admitted they 'always' used a sat nav for car journeys and would struggle to remember routes without one. Hamish Livingston of Peter Vardy commented: 'It's becoming clear that people are relying more on technology to get them places instead of relying on their own geographical knowledge.'
