Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[Oaktree]

Subaru had heated windshields.

Never owned a Suburu. How did that work...did they use printed on conductors like they use on rear windows? How did that affect visibility?

 

[ultrarunner]

A doctor died driving down a boat ramp into salt water late at night.

The ramp area is on an Island and just an extension of the city road.

Family of doctor who drove into water sues Alameda

(05-08) 17:30 PDT ALAMEDA - The family of a pediatrician who drowned after driving off an...

www.sfgate.com

Also in another part of county WAZE showed a shortcut on a single lane very old road… all of a sudden the road was too popular and the public road became closed to all but residents… very controversial because it remains a public road but commute traffic on 10’ wide paved road from 1850’s was too much.

 

[jjeff]

I guess unfortunately some people are so fixated on what's on the vehicles infotainment screens map they overlook what's going on outside there vehicle.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Anyone that complains about GPS failures has not had the "pleasure" of relying on paper maps and no cell phones to find locations/businesses.

Try to imagine driving a truck and not knowing exactly what exit, streets, etc., to get to some location. You get on the CB and ask for help which mostly got plenty of replies. However, your driving, maybe in heavy traffic, your trying to digest or write down the info. It may be unsafe to pull over.

I used to seek out city or local maps. If available, those were like gold.

 

[John0829]

My first few experiences with GPS, a top of the line Garmin POS, really put me off of using them. We got one for use with our travel trailer going cross country. First trip out it routed us onto a narrow paved track barely wide enough for the truck and no way to turn around, finally got though and at the camp ground the owner asked how we came in and was amazed we had made after describing the route. Second trip was out west, there was a detour we decided to take to see a particular site, visited said site and turned the GPS back on to continue to the next campground. The GPS routed us ALL the way back to the point where we left the route for our detour before it would take us on to the campground. Bringing us in from a different direction I only recognized what happened when I remembered the landmarks where we turned off, a 50 mile tour that was not necessary. Third and last time we were on the way to Outer Banks, left the campground which was located just off of a 4 lane road, GPS said not to take it. It said to take a two lane road across the intersection... 12 miles of twisting, winding road where I could check if the taillights on the trailer were working several times from the extremely tight turns, only to come out 3 miles down the road from the campground we had just left and then it routed us on the 4 lane to our next destination.

Still have the Garmin but it is only for keeping a recording where we have been. Mapping/routing is now done using Google Maps, Waze and an atlas bought new each year. Between 3 sources most travel is less stressful now, not wondering what cow track that Garmin POS is going to route

 

[3930dave]

Some of this is a hard aversion to technology... OK, being able to read a map is good, but GPS phone maps show construction, back ups, faster routes, speed traps, DUI check points, school zones, ect, and are updated often.

Possible aversion (I do use a GPS, selectively, it's a Garmin standalone unit), but I think most of us are saying - don't put blind-faith in it. There have been accidents, and fatalities, from blindly following gps.

The one I recall, was an older (likely close to the same age I am now ) couple, IIRC from BC, driving to relative's in the SouthWest. Made general news at the time, and I later saw pictures of the vehicle - Astro van, with factory lower skirts on it. Vehicle didn't roll, but they ended up on some desert road (Matt's off Road Recovery wasn't a thing then) they had no business being on, even if it was AWD. Vehicle got hung up, and they had no cell service. He decided to walk-out, she stayed with the van. He didn't make it (alive), and IIRC, she survived, but was in bad shape by the time she was found.

Closer to home, had a chat with a heavy-tow service we use..... on this subject, he was shaking his head - a street was closed, or reconfigured at a nearby lakeshore drive, and people in cars kept driving along the route on the Screen, right down a boat ramp, and into the lake.

Wish I was make this ^ up..... cuz even Wiley E Coyote is shaking his head !

The incident I was thinking of was earlier than '22, but sadly, this one had a similar ending...

Why We Should Not Trust GPS completely

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Anyone that complains about GPS failures has not had the "pleasure" of relying on paper maps and no cell phones to find locations/businesses.

Try to imagine driving a truck and not knowing exactly what exit, streets, etc., to get to some location. You get on the CB and ask for help which mostly got plenty of replies. However, your driving, maybe in heavy traffic, your trying to digest or write down the info. It may be unsafe to pull over.

I used to seek out city or local maps. If available, those were like gold.

Some details on GPS save a lot of time. Started using a donated from a friend Garmin this year, before a 2 day provincial trip. Interface is fairly intuitive, but wanted to use it locally to gain seat-time with the interface and tuning. During my Test-drives, found a nice paved shortcut in a nearby city, that I likely wouldn't have otherwise.

Local maps - agreed. This area of the province used to have a free Ski/Bike/Skidoo large regional map - I consider the old copies I have close to Platinum in value. They won't show you the location of Bob's Tackle Shoppe, but for driving to tiny towns and villages, they are fantastic.

Each mode of information is just a Tool..... with corresponding limitations, and strengths.

Rgds, D.

 

[deserteagle71]

Which service? I believe Waze will automatically update to use your unmarked road as the preferred route, if you take it several times with the software actively running. It is constantly updating routing information, based on actual swarm activity, not just native map data.

edit: Knowing there are private gated roads, Waze might need to see more than one user choosing the same road, before it updates to show that as a preferred route. I'm not sure how "individualized" their routing is.

LOL. No "service". Out here in rural Nevada where most of the "highways" are dirt or gravel roads, apps like Waze are useless. Some folks use OnX - but first have to download maps of the area they need to travel because there is no cell service. Most of us use a Garmin with topo maps, something that has more information on the screen than just the roads.

 

[deserteagle71]

Possible aversion (I do use a GPS, selectively, it's a Garmin standalone unit), but I think most of us are saying - don't put blind-faith in it. There have been accidents, and fatalities, from blindly following gps.

The one I recall, was an older (likely close to the same age I am now ) couple, IIRC from BC, driving to relative's in the SouthWest. Made general news at the time, and I later saw pictures of the vehicle - Astro van, with factory lower skirts on it. Vehicle didn't roll, but they ended up on some desert road (Matt's off Road Recovery wasn't a thing then) they had no business being on, even if it was AWD. Vehicle got hung up, and they had no cell service. He decided to walk-out, she stayed with the van. He didn't make it (alive), and IIRC, she survived, but was in bad shape by the time she was found.

That happened here in Nevada, not far from where I live. Some friends of mine found the van with the lady in it while hunting for sheds. Remains of her husband were found a year or so later up under a pinyon pine where he had taken shelter, by one of my coworkers who was elk hunting.

"Walking out" is not a good option when the nearest town, the nearest pavement, the nearest anything can be 40 or 100 miles away and you are in mountainous terrain and not sure which way to travel.

 

[rontaki]

In case anyone is not aware of this site - One-Stop-Shop for Rural Traveler Information

One-Stop-Shop for Rural Traveler Information

oss.weathershare.org

Lots of good info on road conditions and other interesting things related to roads