Young drivers 'taking risks by trying to race satnavs'

Young drivers may be putting themselves at risk of being convicted for speeding - or worse - by trying to race their satnav's estimated journey time, according to a new report.

The AA has conducted a survey in association with Populus showing that more than half of car owners aged between 18 and 24 who own a satnav have tried to outpace the journey times displayed by the device on occasions.

Such sentiments were also evident among those in the 25 to 34 age group, with more than one-third of respondents in this bracket admitting to having put their satnav's journey forecasts to the test.

By doing so, drivers could be increasing their risk of being involved in an accident, requiring convicted driver insurance or causing a hazard on the roads.

AA president Edmund King said: "Human versus machine is evidently a challenge most younger drivers cannot resist."

Data from the report shows that Yorkshire and Humber is the UK region with the highest rate of satnav ownership at 58 per cent, as well as seeing the highest level of satnav racers at 18 per cent.

Conversely, Scotland was ranked the lowest in terms of both of these figures, while the issue is also less prevalent in Northern Ireland and the west of England.

Meanwhile, it was also shown that only seven per cent of motorists of pensionable age speed to beat their satnav journey times, despite more than 50 per cent owning the devices.

Mr King warned that this habit makes little sense due to the fact that clear runs on the UK's roads are unlikely, meaning that drivers should be planning to account for longer journeys, not shorter ones.

"For some drivers, beat the satnav has become a potentially deadly game. Beat the clock should stay in the realms of the game show rather than the highway," he added.

Earlier this year, the AA targeted young motorists with a campaign to highlight the dangers of drink-driving, warning that the responsibility for avoiding this crime lies with drivers themselves.