Satellite navigation devices also known as Satnavs are a vehicle tracking system that have become increasingly popular with casual motorists. Modern Satnavs now can come with a variety of useful features which help to improve the users driving experience. Many people however feel that they don’t need this kind of device and often think of them as a waste of money. This couldn’t be further from the truth however. Satnavs use global positioning systems (GPS) to track your location using satellites. This makes them very accurate and can usually pinpoint your location within a few meters. Many of the features of a modern Satnav can help save you money which can quickly help pay for itself.
Getting Lost
Satnavs can be used to plan your route for you. This is especially useful when doing a lot of traveling to places you aren’t familiar with. The major advantage of using a satnav when traveling is that it stops you from getting lost which in turn can cost you both time and money from petrol. It may not seem a massive problem by getting lost however in some cases it can over double travel time and small incidents soon add up over the year. Because of this satnavs are a great way to stop a lot of time and petrol being wasted from getting lost.
Route Planning
Not only can satnavs stop you from getting lost but the other advanced of route planning software is that it calculates the best roads to take, getting you to your location on the shortest route. It is surprising how many of us frequently use ineffective traveling directions which potentially can add up to big money wasted over a period of time.
Although driving a slightly longer way might not seem a big deal, a good example of this is if you could do your journey to work half a mile quicker every day that would be around three hundred and fifty miles a year saved. The average US car averages about 25 miles per gallon although some are much lower than this figure. Over a year with prices at almost $4 a gallon this could save you around $60 and that’s just on your work travel. This saving could be much higher for people who travel more regularly and over longer distances.
Speeding Fines
One of the hidden ways satnavs help save a lot of money each year is by helping to stop you getting speeding fines. Satnavs can help to prevent speeding in two major ways:
Firstly many satnavs hold information about static traffic cameras and areas which are regularly patrolled by mobile speed checks. Sometimes when driving in areas you aren’t familiar with it can be easy to get caught out doing a few miles an hour over the speed limit and so a satnav being able to warn you is a real asset.
The second way they help is by having a speed checker feature which can compare your speed to the speed limit. Many such Satnavs have a feature that warns you when you are going too fast which can also be useful to stop you getting caught out. With the maximum speeding fine of $1000 in some states this can save you a fortune although you might not necessarily realise it.
Satnavs not only save you valuable time but also can pay for themselves quickly by improving you daily
driving routs, stops you getting lost and by warning you when you’re speeding.
This was a guest post by Sam Fisher on behalf of Teletrac the specialist in
vehicle tracking system and fleet management solutions.