Sat Nav Insanity

Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary Norman Baker has tabled an Early Day Motion calling for urgent action to protect communities from poor sat-nav routing.

The Parliamentary motion calls for the Government to regulate sat-navs to ensure that they take into account the height, width and length of the vehicle before selecting a route. If the Government adopts the idea, this could mean an end to sat-navs mistakenly directing lorries down unsuitable roads.

You can help by asking your MP to sign Norman Baker’s motion, Early Day Motion 1252 ‘Satellite Navigation Devices’, to show his or her support for the campaign.

A report from Braughing, East Hertfordshire:

Heavy lorries frequently take the shortest route between the B1368 and A120 through the village of Braughing in East Hertfordshire and along the country road called Stortford Lane.  As well as being a danger on the narrow lanes in the village, the country road is blocked when lorries meet and the grass verges are being damaged by ad hoc ‘passing places’.

A report from Sutton Scotney, Hampshire:

Big lorries southbound leave the A303 at the Norton turn off before the main Bullington Cross junction and drive down along narrow country lanes untill they reach the bridge over the river Dever 50 yards from the A30, and there they get stuck as the bridge is narrow and at an angle. The bridge railings and concrete supports have been demolished 4 times already this year.

A report from Portesham, Dorset:

I am a member of Portesham Traffic Action Group in Dorset.
Sat nav directs lorries from as far as Bristol down the A37 and then through narrow country lanes through Grimstone to the A35. From here it will direct through Portesham to the coats road B3157 which connects Bridport and Weymouth. Portesham is a village which has become a rat run with 3000 vehicles a day.

Here’s a report from Surbiton:

Traffic wishing to visit the postcodes KT6 4EB and KT6 4ED (nos 1- 69, Surbiton Court) are directed to enter the area via a (private) road off the Portsmouth Road - at the end of which they promptly get stuck - and lost! 
To access the area without problems, traffic should be directed via St Andrews Square, using the same directions as for the postcode KT6 4EA.

Here’s a new report from Thorpe, Surrey:

Lorries coming through ‘Rosemary Lane, Thorpe, Surrey’ instead of the Thorpe Bypass on route to Thorpe Industrial Estate. Rosemary Lane is width restricted at the bottom end and not shown on Sat Nav systems. It’s getting worse every year…

We’ve had two reports from Twyford, Hampshire highlighting the madness of using the B3354 as a major road for truck movements:

I have seen a lorry hit a bus on the ‘Bugle Corner’ Twyford, Hampshire, smashing their front offside wings. The corner is too sharp for two large vehicles. I have often seen lorries riding the kerb on the same corner in order to get round each other. I am constantly afraid for anyone who walks along the road there. Since there is a very excellent motorway only half a mile away, bypassing all towns and villages. It is insane to use the minor roads. It cannot be cost-effective to wind through the villages either; much better to trundle along the motorway. Worst offenders are: Blowplast. I will take a number of photos and post them.

and

I live in Twyford, 3 miles south of Winchester. Articulated lorries, car transporters and other heavy duty vehicles are using the B3335 instead of the M3 to link to the M27. This means that they travel through the villages of Twyford and Colden Common causing mayhem for the unfortunate ones who have to live there. It is incredibly dangerous for other road users and pedestrians, in particular, older people and school children. There is a serious accident waiting to happen. Can this be stopped please? We can hardly hear the church bells ring for the noise. How awful is that for the village of Twyford?

Villagers in Carmarthenshire say they fear restoration work is being damaged by drivers using satellite navigation.

Read the BBC report >>

A Czech lorry driver spent three nights in his cab after his satellite navigation system directed him down a narrow country lane.

The driver, 45, was on his way to pick up a consignment of televisions from a depot in Devon when his 40-tonne articulated lorry became wedged on a sharp bend near Ivybridge. Residents were forced to make lengthy diversions as it was impossible to get past the 50ft (15m) long, 8ft wide lorry.

Read the original report >>