Last updated 11:47, Monday, 06 October 2008

ALMOST a fifth of UK motorists say they couldn’t live without their satellite navigation systems, according to a new survey.

Show us the way: Are we now too reliant on satnavs?

The online poll by the UK car supermarket Motorpoint revealed nearly 14 per cent of drivers wouldn’t have a clue where they were going without their trusted satnav to guide them.

More than 2,700 took part in the study.

Satnav has become relied on by hundreds of thousands of British motorists in recent years, particularly professional drivers.

Sales worldwide are expected to reach 100 million by 2011 according to industry analysts.

However, the clever devices are also responsible for their fair share of mishaps.

Leading manufacturer Tom Tom recently admitted that it had received on average 100 complaints a week from drivers who had been sent the wrong way by their systems

David Shelton, managing director of Motorpoint, said: “Our poll is a clear indication of how integral satnav has become to our daily lives, particularly those who rely heavily on it in their work.

“However, it is worth bearing in mind that it is not infallible and that some times you also need to exercise common sense to avoid ending up going the wrong way.”