GRIEVING MOTHER ASKS FOR SAT NAV USE TO BE TAUGHT TO NEW DRIVERS

A young woman known as Lauren Smee, aged just 21 lost her life when she followed sat nav directions which took her the wrong way down a dual-carriageway.

Her grieving mother said she had only held her licence for three months and as a new driver there is so much to think about when on the roads. She said: “Sat navs are a help to youngsters on the road who don’t know where they are going but young drivers have so much to think about. She believed she was doing the right thing and didn’t question it.”

A Sussex police officer followed the route Lauren had used and since then the Highway Agency has improved signage at the junction for clarity. However, the officer stated that Lauren had driven past several no entry signs and it’s likely to have been due to a lack of familiarity and a lapse in concentration.

Laurens mother Penny Smee said: “I think the use of sat navs should be included in some way in driving lessons. Young people need to be taught how to use them safely.”

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