For many people, the GPS device is almost like a point-and-shoot experience.
You know where you want to go, so you give the destination and then you drive off. But there is a lot more you can do with your GPS device to help you not only get to where you're going safely, but to get where you're going faster without losing any of the safety you should be making your #1 priority.
GPS devices often come with extra features - and you may be keenly aware of this fact because you paid for them - that can help you avoid difficulty in order to make the trip go by smoothly. If you're not using these features on a fairly regular basis, there's a chance you're not using your GPS up to its full potential. That's why this article will present to you some of the ways to use GPS features: there's no reason to feel clueless about them anymore.
Tip #1: Use features to keep your eyes on the road.
As the frequently-reliable Consumer Reports tells us in an article on GPS features, a feature like hearing spoken street names is a great way you can keep your eyes on the road without having to keep looking back at the GPS. One of the ways to ensure safety (and less headaches) is to use GPS features that can keep your eyes on the road. When you hear the generic "turn right," you might be tempted to look at the GPS to calibrate what you see outside with what you're seeing on the map. Instead of doing all of these cross-checks, a feature like spoken street names allows you to be sure that you're making the correct turn at the correct time, meaning you're driving more like you normally would: with your eyes on the road.
Tip #2: Pay attention to the traffic reports.
If your GPS device can feed you traffic information, pay close attention to it. It might not be worth a detour in some cases, but if you're going through a major traffic area and need to really cut some minutes off of your trip, using the GPS' input on traffic is a great way to ensure that you can keep the car moving. The more you "work with" the traffic reports on the GPS, the more you'll get used to making decisions based on traffic information, which can really help you find some alternative routes for frequent drives that you might not even need a GPS for after a while.
Tip #3: Hit "detour" if possible and when applicable.
If you do run into a high-traffic as in Tip #2, you'll want to make sure that you have a detour ready even if you've never tried it before. The way to do this is to use the manual detour button on your GPS system, if your device has one. If you have someone in the car with you, try and have them do it for you. If you're driving yourself, make sure you can do it yourself safely. Having a detour planned out for you can be a great way to save on time; if your GPS device can handle this for you because it can feed you traffic information, then this is a feature you'll want to start taking advantage of.
Tip #4: Plan your own detours.
Sometimes, you might just take a route that you know is better than the GPS map's route. Let your GPS device calibrate to your new route if necessary; don't simply follow the beaten path. You can ignore your GPS device when you want to and this will help you to keep your eyes on the road.
Tip #5: Combine music and GPS.
Some GPS devices can play music by hooking up MP3 players through them; why not have a little fun on your trip when you have other people in your car? Not every feature on the GPS has to be about navigation.