Carroll County Times Articles
Onboard Global Positioning Systems More Than Just Directions
by Jeannine Morber– December 6, 2007
When Global Positioning Systems (GPS) first began appearing in cars a few years ago, I thought they were nothing but expensive and barely useful status symbols. After all, it was so easy to just print out directions from internet locator sites like MapQuest or Yahoo Maps, why would someone want to fuss with an expensive onboard system simply to get driving directions? I also thought they would be yet another addition to the long list of driver distractions that contribute to traffic accidents. I envisioned a driver speeding down Route 95 with eyes glued to a small dashboard screen looking for the next exit all the while talking on a cell phone, of course.
All of that changed recently during a weekend trip to Pennsylvania with my brother and his family. Not only did I become a huge fan of onboard GPS but I'm currently shopping around for a unit for my own car. The big change of heart occurred while visiting the many tourist sites and museums in Lancaster as a passenger in my brother's GPS equipped SUV. While most tourists were stuck in traffic on the main roads, sometimes sitting through four and five traffic light changes, we breezed from one museum to another in mere minutes.
The trick is that GPS is not simply good for getting directions from point A to point B, it's extremely good at recalculating those directions in just a few seconds. So when in a traffic jam, just take the first right or left turn and the GPS will recalculate the route to your destination from that point, which usually results in a route of lesser-known roads with barely any traffic.
We performed this little trick a few times and the added bonus was that we were able to see some gorgeous scenery that we would have otherwise missed had we stayed on the main roads. I also suspect that we saved a bit on gas since we weren't just sitting and idling in traffic.
I should also mention that the GPS in my brother's car is equipped with voice prompting which is very timely and accurate. The voice prompting also makes it unnecessary to take your eyes off the road to look at the screen for the next turn. The GPS unit also understood simple voice commands to locate common destinations.
What finally convinced me that a GPS is a must-have gadget was at the end of that weekend in Pennsylvania when my brother and his family headed back to Connecticut and my husband and I headed back to Maryland. I organized my maps and directions on my lap and prepared for a few hours of traffic and stress. I asked my brother which route he was going to take. He said he didn't know, and then tapped a few buttons on the GPS to calculate a route which avoided main roads.
Then he simply said "Home" and off they went.
About the Author
Jeannine Morber is the Director of the Carroll Technology Council. Questions are welcome and may be addressed in future articles. Email mail@carrolltechcouncil.org or go to www.carrolltechcouncil.org to learn more.
