Edinburgh motorists 'most confident in UK at navigating without a sat nav'
A survey found that 92% of drivers in the Capital are comfortable getting behind the wheel without a sat nav
Motorists in Edinburgh are the most confident in the UK when it comes to driving without a satellite navigation system, according to new research.
A survey by car leasing firm Autotrader found that 92% of drivers in the Capital are comfortable getting behind the wheel without a sat nav, the highest proportion of any UK city. Furthermore, nearly a third (32%) of Edinburgh motorists claimed they never use a navigation device at all.
Across Scotland as a whole, 79% of drivers reported feeling comfortable navigating independently, with 29% of Glaswegians also stating they never rely on digital mapping. Edinburgh's compact city centre and street layouts are believed to contribute to this high level of self-navigation confidence.
The findings present a stark contrast to the rest of the country. Across the UK, almost one in 10 motorists (8.6%) feel uncomfortable driving without a sat nav, even on local routes they already know.
The study revealed that 30 miles is the maximum distance most British drivers will comfortably travel without digital assistance. While 16% of motorists set their limit at 26 to 30 miles, a further 15% admitted they would not travel further than five to 10 miles without electronic guidance.
At the other end of the scale, Brighton was identified as the city most reliant on the technology, closely followed by Sheffield and Birmingham. The report suggests that complex road layouts, confusing roundabouts, and one-way systems in these areas heavily impact the confidence of local drivers.
Tom Roberts, a car leasing expert at Autotrader, said: “It’s hard to begrudge drivers their reliance on sat navs. These systems don’t just tell you when to turn, they manage traffic and hazards, flag speed cameras and reroute in real time. They remove so many stressful parts of the mental load of driving.
"For anyone looking to buy or lease a car, sat nav connectivity is increasingly a non-negotiable. As car and smartphone technology continues to get smarter we can only expect to see drivers’ reliance on sat nav systems to grow, not shrink."