Can your kids read a map?

[Jonno]

Apparently not.

Millions of people in the UK are clueless when it comes to using a road map instead preferring to rely on technology.

[News]

In message , Jonno writes

My son was taught the basics of map reading in primary school. However, the article seems to be confusing two issues, stating people not knowing where Stonehenge and Leeds Castle are, which is geography, not map reading. One could be a perfectly capable map reader, and still not know where they are. One could also know exactly where they are, yet not be able to find them on a map, or use a map for the journey.

[thescullster]

This is where the scout movement or Duke of Edinburgh scheme are useful. Daughter is fairly bright and ended up leading her group on the cross-moors map reading exercise. Clearly this is a level above simply following designated thoroughfares like roads.

Only when the lights go out I fear will the paper map see a resurgence - oh and candles to light the way and see that map of course!

Phil

[Broadback]

How many people can build a hay stook, or drive a pony and trap?Not many because these are skills no longer required, so why bother?

[The Natural Philosopher]

There is a very good answer to that. A GPs will get you there, but a map shows you first of all whether or not you want to go ...

Accepted that google earth is the modern map of choice...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Big difference is you need a passenger to read the map for you if driving. Especially when finding somewhere in a town.

A satnav allows you to navigate and drive.

Oh - a map is more likely to be out of date than a satnav.

[Brian-Gaff]

This though was always an issue. Map reading is a skill some just never seem to grasp. Having said that, navigation again is an issue. Having listened to many private pilots on my scanner, I was amused yesterday when around here at least, the clouds were at ground level and hence visibility poor when a lady pilot was heard to say when she arrived ahead of a faster aircraft, You left before me, how come I got here first. I bet you were relying on that damned I Pad again instead of using your instruments. I imagine that many are like my late Mother. In order to make sense of the map, they need to turn it so the path they are on is facing the way they are going. Then of course all the writing is normally the wrong way up! Brian

[Tim Streater]

SWMBO does that and is quite good at it. Driving in unknown cities is the only reason we might get one. But we've been thinking about that for 10 years.

So buy a new one every 10 years. Still cheaper.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes. I don't need a satnav to go from home to pretty well any town in the UK, as I'd check the route before.

But in that town, it's a godsend. Especially London where an A-Z was always near impossible to read in a car at night.

[charles]

However, using a satnav seems to make people ignore road signs. Lorries, particularly getting stuck in narrow lanes or under railway bridges. Or, as happened recently someone ignoring a "Stop" sign.

[charles]

Satnavs with "live" traffic conditions are useful even when driving to somewhere you've been to many times before.

Yes.

[soup]

...or end up in a river or...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not really much different from having a human navigator who can't read a map either.

[dennis]

Really? You can buy a sat nav with most of Europe on it with free updates for life for about £60 (aldi IIRC). Buying a map of the UK in the same level of detail would cost you nearly as much when you add in AtoZ for a few towns. Then there is the post code directory to add and the PoI.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A full set of similar resolution maps for the UK including towns etc? I doubt it.

And the ability to enter just a postcode for your location is worth it on its own.

[Graham.]

I've been in field service all my working life and got my first satnav nine years ago. (still using it). Never looked at a paper map since, and good riddance to them! GPS , more than any other technology has changed my life for the better.

[charles]

quite a bit different. If the human naviagtor can't read the map, the driver might actually look where (s)he is going.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Have you ended up in a river while using a satnav, Charles? ;-)

[Tim Streater]

Yes chaps, you've caught me out. But I still prefer OS maps.

[Jonno]

Broadback scribbled

The US Navy has recently decided that their officers need to be able to navigate using non-electronic equipment because some clever sod might turn off all the satelites and leave them all at sea.