The moves will be discussed at a March Whitehall summit called by Norman Baker, the local transport minister.
They are intended to stop villages being blighted by coaches and foreign lorries which have got stuck after being guided down unsuitable narrow lanes,
“It is vital highway authorities, mapping companies and satnav manufacturers work more closely together to provide drivers with accurate, up-to-date information on traffic restrictions such as narrow roads or low bridges.
”We want to be able to update satnavs quickly when they are wrong," he added.
Satnav systems are commonplace and in many cases are built into cars at manufacture.
The Government hopes to tackle part of the problem by giving councils the power to classify their own local roads, rather than leaving the decision to the Department for Transport in London.
For example In February 2009 an articulated lorry was stuck for five days in the tiny Cotswold village of Syde after it became wedged in a ditch on a hairpin bend.
A month earlier a couple woke up to find a huge lorry wedged against the wall of their house at Litton Cheney, Dorset, after the Hungarian driver had been guided through their village by his satnav system.
"The cost of downloading update after update means that most drivers won’t be up to speed on routes that highway authorities want them to use,” said Edmund King, the AA’s President.
Neil Greig, head of research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists also sounded a note of caution.
“While we welcome the ‘Satnav Summit’, high quality and consistent signposting will always be the best way to ensure that drivers get the information they require when and where they need it most.,” he said.
" Local authorities and government must ensure adequate funding for traditional signposting remains a top priority even in the digital age.
“Drivers themselves need to take some responsibility, with recent figures showing that two-thirds of drivers are confused by basic road signs.”
Sources:
Telegraph
Telegraph
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