Team to investigate sat nav safety

Back

University academics are due to carry out research to check sat navs' contribution in causing car crashes.

Drivers will carry out computer-based tasks for the study - to be conducted by a team from Lancaster University and psychologists from Royal Holloway, University of London - in order to simulate the demands imposed by a typical in-car navigation system.

Dr Pragya Agarwal of Lancaster University, one of the researchers, said: "There is little research on the impacts of sat navs on spatial attention and memory while undertaking a complex task such as driving.

"Although sat nav makers have claimed that such technology aids driving behaviour, we are interested in finding out accurate measurements for how much driving performance and memory of routes worsens while using a sat nav."

The researchers will also assess the types of information drivers receive through a sat nav and the responses they must make.

Dr Agarwal added: "With the increasing reliance on technology for navigation, it is important that such technology is designed so that it supports rather than detracts us from our primary task of driving."

Copyright © Press Association 2010

Get a car insurance or home insurance quote now.