Update atlas and don’t get caught out on road
MOST drivers are not updating their road atlases often enough to keep up with changing travel infrastructure, an AA survey has revealed. In a Yonder poll of more than 15,000 drivers, nearly one in five admitted that they have never updated their road atlas, while 11 per cent take more than five years to purchase a new edition. Although a further 18 per cent of those surveyed update theirs every three years, only seven per cent renew their road atlas every year, as recommended by the AA. Drivers in Northern Ireland and Scotland were least likely to have renewed their road atlas, with 21 per cent and 20 per cent of those surveyed in those areas respectively saying they still had their originally purchased edition. Motorists in the East and West Midlands emerged as the most mindful when it comes to keeping their atlases up to date, with nine per cent of respondents in those regions getting new editions each year. Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: “With nearly 500,000 copies of this year’s range already sold, it is clear that for British motorists the AA Atlas range is still a vital companion when exploring the UK. “With the country’s infrastructure always evolving, including the introduction of smart motorways and changes to tolls and restrictions, we encourage drivers to keep their atlases up to date so they are never caught out when on the roads.”
According to AA president Edmund King, satnav systems available in many cars haven’t done away with the need for an atlas. He said: “Two-thirds of drivers still have an atlas but too many of them are out of date. Despite the advent of the satnav, AA atlases are still an essential in-car item alongside the ice-scraper or torch.
“When roads are blocked following an incident many satnavs just try to re-route back onto the blocked road, whereas the atlas can show you alternative routes. When planning a road trip, nothing quite compares to the excitement of turning the pages of an atlas. Even the Queen has been spotted with an AA Atlas.”