I have a theory.
If I were to stop and ask for directions from (just for example) Mowbray to Kuilsriver, the person whom I am asking (if he happens to know the way), will probably direct me how to get to the highway, and which offramp to take from there. Quickest, safest, easiest.
Now last night I had the fortunate experience of using my Garmin to get out of Mowbray to whatever region I was going to (not Kuilsriver but just for an example).
There were obviously a lot of routes it could take me and the route was set to be the quickest route. It would have arrived at home 10:47PM. I then realised that this unit wanted to take me through <DODGY AREA XYZ>.
Now not saying <DODGY AREA XYZ> is a bad area, what I'm saying is that it is probably safer to get a flat tyre in some parts of the city than in <DODGY AREA XYZ>. Also I do not know <DODGY AREA XYZ> that well and I do not know if there are certain areas which are more notorious than others. When I entered a different via point in order to hint to this unit that I want to take the highway, it calculated the ETA as 10:48.
Now I remember Road Angel which specifically catered for this, but I dont see it anymore. I understand Garmin can't say that certain areas are dangerous (would unleash a storm), but somehow it prob is possible because Road Angel did it. Unfortunately custom user POI's will prob not be able to cut it.
What I'm saying is this : In some cases, it is probably safer to ask for directions when you get lost (you have a higher chance of the person taking safety into account - human factor), than to use a personal navigation device such as Garmin.
Saving a minute of travelling time is just not worth risking your life. It was fine for me, but what if I did not know of the area? I'm not making an argument for a PND overriding common sense, Im asking what if an innocent person
gets hurt, and the likelyhood of getting hurt would have been less if he/she had travelled a different, safer route (which would entail a knowledge of the area's history of course) ?
Would this necessarily have happened on the N1? or N2? Not to say she used a PND, just as an example
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/victim-tells-of-horror-attack-on-freeway-1.1296850
Yes, it could happen anywhere, anytime, I am saying that some roads have a higher rate of incidents than others, and that that knowledge is important. One should never, in a unfamiliar environment (which is possibly why u need a PND in the first place), just take the default route the PND takes you to.
