When In Doubt, Blame It On Technology

from the it-wasn't-my-fault dept

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There seems to be a growing trend in the UK of people suspending their common sense when they get in a car and turn on GPS navigation units. There are people driving off cliffs and through flooded roads and taking detours that span half of England , apparently at the behest of their navigation units. Things got so bad in one place that authorities even had to put up "ignore your sat nav" signs. Now, a woman's car got hit by a train, and for some reason, she's blaming a GPS navigation unit . She says the device led her "right into the path of a speeding train": she was driving to her boyfriend's house, using the GPS for directions, when she came up to a metal gate with a red circle on it, marked with a "little sign saying, if the light is green, open the gates and drive through." She doesn't say whether or not the light was green, just that she opened the gate, drove through, got out to shut the gate and heard a train coming, then she realized she was standing on a train crossing. She got out of the way, but the train hit her car and carried it for half a mile. She says she "can't completely blame" the GPS unit -- but it's not clear why the GPS is to blame at all. First, you'd imagine that one would be cognizant enough of their surroundings to realize when they were at a railroad crossing. Second, if it wasn't obvious enough, isn't the problem really inadequate signage or a lack of other safety equipment? Of course, it's easier to put the blame on the GPS, since it can only answer back by saying, "Left turn in 400 yards," rather than own up to your own fault.