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Ambulance Drivers Told to Use Old-Fashioned Maps Again

by Peter Mychalcewycz on May 3, 2009 at 01:16 PM



It seems that normal civilians aren't the only people experiencing difficulty with their GPS systems these days.

According to the Telegraph, England's North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has told its employees not to rely solely on their ambulances' GPS systems anymore. Paul Liversidge, the company's director of ambulance operations, told the paper that the change was necessary, since his crews' frequent over-reliance on the systems often led to delays getting to patients.

So are the drivers expected to return to paper maps? That looks to be the case, although a NEAS spokesperson said in a statement that there is no substitute for local knowledge when it comes to navigating with ease. You think?

We are happy to see such logic win out in this case, but, unfortunately, the warnings may have come a bit late. Last year, a woman died before she could reach the hospital when the ambulance drivers transporting her were misdirected by a GPS device. If you find yourself needing to go from Point A to Point B in a situation of life and death, you may be better off with instincts and a good ol' fashioned map than you are with your Garmin. Or you could use the ultimate satellite navigation system -- your trusty sextant and the North Star. [From: Telegraph]



Tags: ambulances, dumb gadgets, dumb tech, DumbTech, gps, hospitals, killer gadgets, KillerGadgets, medicine, top

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