Experience using SAT NAV in Southwest UK - consider pre-planning your own routes

I get what you're saying. I've been writing a trip report of our recent England trip that I hope to have completed this week and I have some stories in it of using offline google maps. The narrower and curvier the road, the more the map encouraged us to drive it.

Thanks. This was especially true in Chagford. We stayed there 3 nights using it as a hiking base and found that using the B3206 to get to the A382 was the only decent way (although still a smaller road) into town. It was worth driving up and around going north a bit even going south to places like HayTor Vale.

Bob, next time check the device settings. Most SAT NAV devices have an option you can check that will let you avoid highways. Yours could have been triggered by mistake. I've done that before with Google maps and wondered why it wasn't directing me to the highway.

Yeah, that was the first thing we did (adjust settings). But it still didn't help much. It always wants to find the shorter distance and we couldn't seem to find the setting for "only use roads labeled as "M" or "A" that only have up three numerical digits".

One curious thing I did notice. While traveling on some of these small roads, the SAT NAV displayed that the road had a speed limit posted of 60MPH -- when common sense tells you that no mere mortal could do 60MPH on the road. Anyone else notice this?

Bob

the sat nav was telling the truth.

the national speed limit in the UK is

• 70 mph on motorways and rural dual carriageways (what you might call a divided highway)
• 60 mph on all other rural roads (including single lanes with passing points)
• 30 mph in built up areas with streetlights or houses close together

unless posted otherwise

We don't treat speed limits as a goal - a specified speed - but as a limit, and we expect common sense out of drivers to make allowances for terrain, weather, visibility and traffic. There is an offence here called "Driving without due care and attention" if you don't.

One curious thing I did notice. While traveling on some of these small
roads, the SAT NAV displayed that the road had a speed limit posted of
60MPH -- when common sense tells you that no mere mortal could do
60MPH on the road. Anyone else notice this?

Yes I noticed it often.

We don't treat speed limits as a goal - a specified speed - but as a
limit, and we expect common sense out of drivers to make allowances
for terrain, weather, visibility and traffic.

All very sensible except for the uninitiated. I'm not one to be a light footed driver at home but 2 weeks ago we were driving from Arundel to Winchester and Google Maps offline decided it would be a good idea if I left the A27 and take the B2141 through South Downs Forest instead. No speed signs, but there were some areas where I thought even 40mph was pushing it, but some drivers behind me disagreed and I was getting flashing headlights and horns on occasion. Not being as familiar with your traffic etiquettes as I thought, I didn't know if I was the one not using common sense or if it was the occasional angry driver behind me. It made for a stressful drive.

Ditto Allan. Same experience. As a fun keepsake, I bought an "L" magnetic car placard at the local hardware store in one town. Think maybe next trip I should put it on my rental car when I leave the lot? Then maybe a few folks will cut me a break when I'm using my speed judgement.

a "P" would be better, if anything. It means that you have just passed your test and now have a baby licence and others may give you a bit of room and time.

an "L" plate means that an unlicenced (provisional) driver is driving, and is supervised by/under instruction by a licenced driver and may not drive on any Motorways. One "L" plate is of no use, to be legal it must be a pair, one in front and one behind. Display it incorrectly and you are likely to get pulled. Be an unsupervised driver with an L plate and you are likely to get pulled. Don't do it.

But do read up on the Highway Code so you don't make any bloopers. How far must you be from a bicycle when overtaking it? Can they undertake you? How far from a horse? Should you honk at an animal in the road? What are the National Speed Limits and what signs convey that? How do you use a passing point or a roundabout? Which classes of road users have priority over others? What do you do when there is a vehicle with blue flashing lights? How do you deal with a Zebra, Toucan, Puffin? etc. etc.

Similar to other countries but significantly different, not only in which side of the road to drive or park.

I was thinking of getting a sign that reads: "Stupid American Driver". That could work for me or against me, I suppose.

One of these --
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097JBJGNB/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?pd_rd_i=B097JBJGNB&pd_rd_w=eGckF&content-id=amzn1.sym.dd2c6db7-6626-466d-bf04-9570e69a7df0&pf_rd_p=dd2c6db7-6626-466d-bf04-9570e69a7df0&pf_rd_r=QNHEE9X6FM86C9ZMYA41&pd_rd_wg=BtLWZ&pd_rd_r=c95a1b00-5e54-43fb-aa49-c999d9bd1759&s=lawn-garden&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOFg4OVdNVFQ5NkgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxODkzMjcxSzNVVUFENjgxODVJJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1MTM0ODQxWDJMTVQ1V1BIOEJaJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

on the 'boot', may be a nicer way to convey 'clueless American'

( take it off when you park to you do not advertise to car prowlers)

or it might invoke sad/angry memories of poor Harry Dunn, the boy killed by Anne Sacoolas, the wife of the CIA spy, driving on the wrong side of the road here.