GPS leads truck driver under dangerous overpass
Posted July 28, 2011 12:46 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – A truck driver in London found himself in a sticky situation after following his GPS system underneath an overpass in Perth County.
Provincial police said the driver was lucky to escape injury after the delivery truck he was driving had its roof sheared off by the overpass overhead.
The driver was following a GPS charted route along Road 145, just south of Highway 8, when the roof of his truck was ripped open after striking the bottom of the rail overpass.
OPP Sgt. Dave Woodford told 680News that drivers should always map out a road-trip in advance, and always follow your instincts rather than the navigation system
“It could assume you’re driving a car and you’re alright, but once you drive a vehicle that has any height, you could be in trouble, and it can’t determine that,” Woodford said.
This incident is not the first time a GPS system has led a driver astray. There are hundreds of videos available on YouTube featuring GPS dependents getting lost.
“We wanted New Hampshire, and somehow it said welcome to Massachusetts,” said one frustrated driver.
It’s because of instances like these that Sgt. Woodford recommends people make some calls and map out their routes the old-fashioned way.
“Bridges could be lower, I know if you’re going to the New Jersey area there are some bridges that you can’t fit under with the motorhome that I have, so you have to watch for height restrictions,” Woodford said.
Properly mapping-out your route can even save you time, as it is not unusual for GPS systems to take drivers the on long route to their destination.
