Study shows Albuquerque drivers are highly-reliant on GPS

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Technology has come a long way over the past decade and changed the way we do many things. For example, a new nationwide survey by North Star Inbound shows that 93% of Americans are heavily reliant on their GPS when they drive and one-in-five respondents said they use it every day.

Out of more than a thousand surveyed drivers in Albuquerque, 23% claimed to be dependent on mobile navigation systems.

"We also found that 11%, so just a little bit over one-in-10, of Albuquerque drivers said that they’re extremely likely to get lost without their GPS," said Matt Zajechowski, the Director of Media Relations for North Star Inbound

He also said exactly 25% of drivers in the Albuquerque metro reportedly cannot go longer than a week without using their GPS.

There are benefits, like navigating new places or bigger cities, as well as receiving real-time updates on traffic patterns and construction alerts.

"There are times where I’ve taken the same route a million times, and then it will route me another way, but I’m glad that it did because you see what was there and ultimately end up saving time," Zajechowski said.

He added that GPS systems can be dangerous, if not used properly. Zajechowski cited a few safety tips from AAA to minimize distractions:

1. Program your GPS before you put your car in drive.

"Then if you need to change the course – or if the directions change – simply just pull off the road in a safe area," Zajechowski said.

2. Use your vehicle’s navigation display if you have it, instead of using GPS on your cell phone.

“In many cars, it’s closer to the center to where you’re looking," he said.

3. Enable the audio on your GPS.

"It will come over your speakers – and you can listen to the directions and be alerted if you have a turn coming up," Zajechowski said.

So the next time you get behind the wheel, you can use these tips to safely find your destination.