March will see the first ever 'Satnav summit'
January 9, 2012
The government’s first ever 'satnav summit' will be held in March in a bid to ensure the right vehicles are on the right roads and lorry and car drivers do not follow out-of-date directions from their satnavs.
We’ve all seen the news stories on drivers following satnavs down narrow and inappropriate roads - blocking narrow rural roads, unable to cross small bridges, or getting stuck in the mud. Now local transport minister Norman Baker is set to host a summit that he hopes will put an end to such incidents.
At present it can take months for map updates to make their way from local councils to satnavs. In order to The minister wants highway authorities, mapping providers and satnav manufacturers to work more closely to ensure everything possible is done to make sure the right vehicles are on the right road.
The summit will be attended by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transportation (ADEPT) - which represents councils in transport - and ITS (UK), which promotes intelligent transport technology and whose membership includes satnav companies.
Announcing his plans, Baker said: “Out-of-date directions mean misdirected traffic - a scourge of local communities. It is vital highway authorities, mapping companies and satnav manufacturers work more closely together to provide drivers with accurate, up-to-date information on traffic restrictions such as narrow roads or low bridges.
“This will help prevent huge lorries from being sent down inappropriate roads and ensure motorists are given the best possible directions.
“The summit is timely because from April we are allowing local authorities to reclassify roads - ensuring A roads are placed where they want traffic to run and lowering the category of road in places they want traffic to avoid - rather than having to come to Whitehall for approval. These powers will help councils make sure that drivers are using suitable routes”
The summit is also part of a package of new traffic signs rules that mean councils will no longer need Whitehall approval to introduce certain new signs or some existing ones that they need to use on a regular basis – including one to warn lorry drivers of unsuitable roads.
The signs which will be added to the list of those which councils can use without government approval include those indicating:
- Routes which are unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles. To reduce the problems caused by drivers following satellite navigation systems down narrow roads, a new information sign has been authorised for use warning of roads which are unsuitable for lorries;
- Available headroom warnings. Currently, councils wanting to indicate headroom warnings in metric and imperial measurements must use two separate signs. From now on councils will be able to use one sign showing both measurements, reducing clutter and cutting costs. Councils will still be able to use a single sign displaying imperial units only.
Courtesy of Link 2
