Driver's Blames Sat Nav For Fatal Wrong Turn In Fog

RobBrady

The Leicester Mercury reports that a motorist that followed his sat nav incorrectly, ended up driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway causing a fatal head on collision.

At his trial, the 30 year old driver from Rotherham, David Driver denies causing the death of 44 year old James Richmond's death by dangerous driving in March last year.

Driver allegedly went past two no-entry signs and onto the wrong carriageway at the A46 Dalby Interchange. Prosecutor Michael Auty, said Driver crossed into lane two, nearest the central reservation.

Immediately following the accident, the accused told police he was following his sat nav.

Mr Auty stated, "A sat nav system cannot be, and isn't, a substitute for common sense and using your eyes." The trial is still in progress.

Source

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Robert Brady

TieJustice · Lifetime Member Joined: Mar 24, 2005 Posts: 66

Guilty.

TVR_nut · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jan 29, 2008 Posts: 14

A "situational awareness" course would be more to the point here - teach the driver to use his eyes and look out the window! Rolling Eyes

Whatever the satnav (or wife/back-seat driver etc) says, the driver has the ultimate responsibility for his or her driving, and should trust their eyes more than the satnav. That said, I would be very surprised if a satnav would direct you the wrong way up a dual carriageway!!

N.

GerryC · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 3:30 pm Post subject:

Looking at the road on StreetView, it doesn't look right to me. There are "turn left ahead" signs for the dual carriageway and the no entry signs are barely visible in good light never mind fog.

Really, the turn ahead signs are unnecessary and misleading (you keep left now not turn later - and certainly not after veering right). There should be a "keep left" sign on the island instead.

Streetview

The satnav would have told him to turn right a couple of times to get to this position then left him to his own devices. It's not really significant though.

Gerry

peecee · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2006 Posts: 37

The junction as a whole looks like it needs rebuilding. Most of the grass verges have tyre marks on them.

Some satnavs might very well assume you're already on the dual carriageway when you're within 50ft of it and thus direct you to head a certain direction.

I get that from time to time when the positioning is a little off and it thinks you're on the other side of the road or on an adjacent road and it then barks new orders out.

The vast majority of people like myself simply ignore false commands but you have to agree that a very small minority of people WILL respond to such commands.

Does this make them an offender? I guess that's for the justice system to argue.

People are people and with technology and cars mixing together more and more I imagine only an increase in 'stupidity' related accidents.

DJ_Chalky · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:51 pm Post subject:

It's a shame that society is becoming more and more stupid and incapable of employing common sense.

Sat Navs will probably have to have an agreement on the screen every time you turn it on that will make you tap to show you understand that it's supposed to be Sat Nav PLUS common sense and not to follow it to the letter.

It can go along with other sign-age to prevent stupidity and prevent the suing culture such as "This product may contain nuts" on a packet of peanuts and "For use on oral lips only" on certain lip balm products.

I find myself feeling depressed at how society has become.

sickgit · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 18, 2012 Posts: 1

One I use quite often, though never felt like dicing it up by trying out the "right turn clyde!"

No signs at all on it either.

http://goo.gl/maps/1I6sI

M8TJT · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:16 pm Post subject:

What about the big blue and white 'Keep Left' sign in the middle of the road, the straight on arrow in the middle of your carriageway and the 'keep out' hatching down the middle. Enough clues? Rolling Eyes

sussamb · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:23 pm Post subject:

Looking at the whole of both junctions, the white linings and the signs it seems pretty clear to me ... and would be even in poor visibilty.

Birdman · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 24, 2005 Posts: 8

[quote="DJ_Chalky"]
Sat Navs will probably have to have an agreement on the screen every time you turn it on ........

My Jag built-in SatNav already has an "I agree" button whenever it's switched on.

electech320ci · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 09, 2006 Posts: 42

I was in the South of France 2 years ago using a TomTom 740 and was returning back to where i was staying when the sat nav told me to turn right which I did, only to find out I was going the wrong way up a slip road onto an Autoroute.
Thankfully I realised at the last moment that something was wrong and slammed on the brakes ( I was doing over 60 mph at this time and still accelerating ).

The road that I should have been on was right next to the slip road and it was very easy to make a mistake, thankfully it was about 10 in the evening and the Autoroute was quiet.

But what if i had met someone coming off the Autoroute, someone could have been killed.

The headlines in the local newspapers would have read "British holidaymaker goes wrong way on a Motorway"

Yes I was in the wrong but my defence would have been that I was only following the Satnav.

sussamb · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:42 pm Post subject:

[quote="Birdman"]

M8TJT · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 9:30 pm Post subject:

sussamb · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 10:24 pm Post subject:

Lacy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 26, 2006 Posts: 9

There but for the grace of god...etc...We are all capable of making bad decisions or moments of in attentiveness. The vast majority of times people will get away with it...occasionally a tragedy happens. It doesn't alter who's at fault here but don't for one moment, believe it can never happen to you. It's very easy to sit at home in your armchair dissecting 'what might/must have happened but this driver didn't go out to kill someone; he made a dreadful mistake that cost someone their life....be careful out there...

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