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Family Blames Sat Nav For Four Days of Misery
Article by: robert
Date: 10 Mar 2011
 Yet again, some unfortunates have been left stranded due to an over reliance on their sat nav.
The Telegraph reports that a British couple, along with their son, his friend and their dog were relocating from Brisbane to Perth when their sat nav directed them down a muddy dirt track in the Australian Outback.
That simple error stranded them for four days with limited supplies of water and sandwiches when their vehicle slipped into a ditch and became stuck in thick mud due to ongoing torrential rain in the area.
They were in fact very lucky that their situation was not a lot worse... they actually managed to get a signal on their phone and called the Australian police for help.
The police gave them an answer they probably didn't quite expect. They informed them that the continuing storm was making the terrain so bad that they wouldn't be able to rescue them for several days.
An official helicopter was not available for the rescue and, because it wasn't a medical emergency, there was no possibility of an ambulance aircraft either.
The family were given two choices - pay $4000 (£2290) for a non-emergency chopper or wait until the storm subsided, hence the long wait.
| Comments
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 Posted by Anita on Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:47 pm |
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| Quote: | | Britons stranded in Australian Outback for 4 days after satnav error |
| Quote: | | Unaware of signs warning that the road in far western New South Wales was closed due to torrential rain, they pushed on. |
How was it a satnav error? From the second quote it would appear that the road was normally navigable, but was closed due to the adverse weather, with warning signs.
What does "Unaware of signs" mean? If there were signs and they were paying attention surely they would have seen them, and if they had any common sense at all they'd realise that it would be wise to stick to a surfaced road during torrential rain in the outback, rather than turn onto a dirt track.
Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1130.12368
Samsung Galaxy S21 |
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| Posted by mostdom on Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:53 pm |
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| Anita Wrote: | | What does "Unaware of signs" mean? |
SIGNS - Lack of road surface, lack of road, lack of common sence, Lack of 4x4 on muddy road, Lack of accual SIGNS. 
Dom
HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
Navigon 7310/iPhone Navigon&Copilot |
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| Posted by Darren on Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:34 pm |
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Stranded because they are idiots, nothing to do with satnav.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by Anita on Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:01 pm |
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I was delighted to see the police wouldn't send a helicopter in to rescue them unless they paid for it, but made them sit it out until until they could be reached by road. I don't somehow think that would happen in the UK - the taxpayer would be expected to pay for it!
Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1130.12368
Samsung Galaxy S21 |
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| Posted by Skippy on Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:16 pm |
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Why were they trying to drive that far anyway? That's an epic journey to make, ~3,000 miles. 
Gone fishing! |
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| Posted by Darren on Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:41 am |
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The trouble is I'm increasingly wary of any storied like this reported in the press. They're invariably wrong on many counts and the chances are the real story is very different.
If they're 'relocating' then they must be Oz residents for starters, so that'd make them ex-pats if anything, not British, wouldn't it?
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by ripeda on Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:58 am |
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| Anita Wrote: | | I was delighted to see the police wouldn't send a helicopter in to rescue them unless they paid for it, but made them sit it out until until they could be reached by road. I don't somehow think that would happen in the UK - the taxpayer would be expected to pay for it! |
In the UK the Law would allow them to sue the organisation who didn't drop everything and come running to rescue them and probably the manufacturer of the Sat Nav. Both probably for millions.
However no rights Law exists allowing those organisations to claim back costs from them for being bloody idiots with no common sense and needing their backsides wiping constantly! (No pun intended in this case)
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| Posted by Darren on Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:03 am |
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| ripeda Wrote: | | In the UK the Law would allow them to sue the organisation who didn't drop everything and come running to rescue them and probably the manufacturer of the Sat Nav. |
Uh no it wouldn't. Emergency Services are not required to attend you if there is no danger to life. As long as they could demonstrate that they assessed the situation and were satisfied that no risk existed, then that would be that.
And no SatNav manufacturer can be held liable even if the mapping data is blatantly wrong. The terms of use are clearly worded to remove liability for the idiocy of users.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by JimmyTheHand on Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:38 pm |
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| Anita Wrote: | | How was it a satnav error? |
Because it is missing a vital line of code
| Code: | | if (user.getIntelligenceLevel() == idiot) halt; |
J. |
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| Posted by M8TJT on Sun Mar 13, 2011 3:57 pm |
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| JimmyTheHand Wrote: | | Code: | | if (user.getIntelligenceLevel() == idiot) halt; |
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Does not the litteral 'idiot' need to go into quotes? 
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| Posted by BigPerk on Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:23 pm |
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No, he needs to go into a nice, safe, vehicleandsatnav-free institution.
David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360) |
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