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I get at least five emails a week asking “Trucker Steve do you use a GPS and if so what brand should I get?” When I get this question it reminds me of a episode of The Office, where branch manager Michael follows directions from his GPS device — despite the warnings of his passenger — and drives his car into a lake.

That turns out to be art imitating life. These things actually seem to happen fairly often. Not long ago the safety department shared a similar story with us. A driver for a undisclosed carrier was following routing that directed him underneath a low over pass. Against his better judgment he continued on, topping the trailer. In closing the company stated “GPS units are now banned at our company and any use of them will be handled in similar fashion as a radar detector.” I Agree 100 %, to many drivers have allowed modern technology to put them in a state to become complacent.

Looks like you might have to add using your GPS to the list of things that the experts tell you not to do while driving. According to a new study, using GPS while behind the wheel is actually more distracting and less safe than unfolding a paper map and using it to find your way. The survey found that in 10% of cases, drivers would wait until they were on the road to program their GPS, and about 13% would rely solely on their GPS to get them to their destination, rendering them completely oblivious to the world around them. But what do
you think? Has GPS made you feel safer or less safe behind the wheel?