Today's GPS devices are amazing pieces of technology that can realistically point out your position just about anywhere on the globe. But are so many of us enamored with the technology behind GPS devices that we don't really stop to ask ourselves if they're truly reliable means of navigation?
First, let's face one fact: GPS devices can be a stunning technology. Using the position of the satelites orbiting the earth, these devices essentially pinpoint your location and use pre-installed maps to relate that location to roads, highways, and side streets. But whether or not GPS devices are an advance in technology isn't the question. The question, as PCWorld poses it, is simple: why aren't GPS navigation systems more reliable?
In that article, PCWorld points out a couple that trusted the GPS enough to take secluded roads, eventually putting them in a snow-covered area where another GPS had to help them get out - the GPS on a cell phone.
If you have friends with GPS, you've probably heard a story or two about a GPS-led route that went wrong, possibly due to out-of-date maps.
So are GPS devices really unreliable, or are people using them incorrectly?
The key is in the quality of the map you're using. The GPS device is usually precise - meaning accurate over a period of time - when it comes to locating you. But when it comes to guessing where what road is, the GPS has to rely on maps that were loaded into its system. When these maps are out of date, suddenly the GPS device itself becomes out of date, at least until you get a new map that will reflect reality.
How can you make sure your GPS device is reliable? If the quality of the GPS' navigation relies on the accuracy of its maps, it makes sense to purchase a GPS that will see frequent map updates, or find a way to update maps on your current GPS system. Keeping your maps accurate will generally keep your GPS accurate.
It's also important to note that you shouldn't give your GPS full trust in every situation. If you know a good way to a relative's house but the GPS is giving you another way, take your own way. You may find that you entered the destination incorrectly and the GPS would have taken you to the wrong spot, for example. When you combine the GPS' knowledge with your own experience, you become a much better navigator.