Car insurance premiums could rise as drivers blindly follow sat navs into danger

By MoneyhighStreet Staff. Published on July 22, 2008 This post currently has no comments.

Car Smash 2
Drivers from the UK are risking higher car insurance premiums by blindly following their satellite navigation systems, a new report has warned.

Research from NFU Mutual found that more than a quarter of drivers said they have followed their sat nav''s directions even if it appeared to be sending them down a unsuitable rural road.

Worrying, this means that people are increasing their risk of having a serious accident and needing to make a claim on their car insurance, as rural roads have higher crash rates.

Indeed, 91 per cent of drivers correctly said rural roads are more dangerous, but 35 per cent of people admitted to not driving more slowly on them.

"The survey shows that there is still an alarming lack of knowledge about the hazards of rural roads," commented Ian Jewitt of NFU Mutual.

"It''s particularly worrying that a quarter of sat nav users continue to follow the gadget''s instructions even when their eyes tell them they are heading up a farm track. This may account for some of the reports of vehicles stuck in fields and deep fords."

Recently, it was revealed that consumers were not looking to switch insurance provider, even in the face of rising premiums.