谨慎使用GPS

A hot ticket Christmas item has P.E.I. police concerned.

Global positioning system devices are proving popular among motorists but they shouldn't rely on the navigation items too much, or it could lead to trouble, said RCMP Sgt. Denis Morin.

"They should input their route, and then they should look at it to see if it makes sense to them," he said.

"And, they might not want to use those smaller country roads where there are no services, no service station, or street lights."

Morin's comments come on the heels of the experience of an American couple, who ended up stuck in the snow for three days after their GPS led them down a remote forest road in Oregon on Christmas Day.

Still, GPS devices are one of the top sellers at electronic stores, according to Bruce Rooney of Future Shop.

"Starting off your trip, you just enter your co-ordinates for your destination, and from that point on really you just get behind the wheel and take off 'cause it's going to take care of you from there and give you directions for every turn and road you're going to have to take," he said.

Many GPS devices are also programmed to provide the shortest route to a destination.

But shorter isn't always better, said Island motorist Jimmie Rogers.

"When I first tried it, I was heading to Halifax. And heading to the boat, it was telling me to take this dirt road and this snow-covered road just to get to the boat," he said.

The devices can also be a distraction if drivers try to program them while they're driving, or pay more attention to the GPS than they do the road, said Morin.

"The GPS will tell people, well you should turn left or right or take this exit. And it doesn't say it's safe to do it now," he said.

"It might cause some drivers to panic whenever they get the orders and they're not ready to do a lane change."

It's important for motorists to remember that if they miss a turn, the GPS will get them back on track, said Morin.

Most GPS devices offer multiple routes to a destination, so if motorists don't like the idea of taking a snow-covered country road, they can find another way, he said.