CONCERNED locals in Longwood have pointed the finger at satnav as being the cause of lorries getting stuck in the village.

It seems the device, designed to make life easier, is actually creating problems for lorry drivers on their way to make deliveries.

It’s not yet clear what prompted the driver of the HGV to make the wrong turn yesterday, but satnav can be blamed for a similar incident in the village last year.

In March 2008, a foreign lorry driver followed his satnav down the narrow, cobbled road off Church Street only to find himself stuck.

Several locals tried to pull the Lithuanian’s vehicle clear using four-wheeled drive vehicles, but all failed.

Eventually the lorry’s cab went down steep Ballroyd Lane, which meant there was no traction at all to reverse back up.

It was the second time in six months that a lorry had got hopelessly stuck at the junction with St Mark’s Road.

The Lithuanian driver blamed it all on naively trusting his satnav.

People have been marooned in fords, driven on to railway tracks, and even into rivers because their satnav told them to.

A survey carried out by insurance company Direct Line last year said 300,000 motorists crashed because of their satnav device.

It was also claimed 1.5 million drivers had suddenly veered dangerously in busy traffic while following electronic directions.

Five million were sent the wrong way down a one-way street, and one in 10 drivers said it made them take a dangerous or illegal turn.

Many of the surveyed drivers commented that confusion over directions had made them hesitate on a busy road and lose track of what was happening around them.

Maggie Game, of Direct Line, said: “If a satnav gives you an instruction that is likely to endanger other road users, ignore it.

“Motorists must realise that while they are a helpful navigation tool, they should not follow their instructions to the detriment of road safety.”

New Government guidelines will crack down on motorists who kill while distracted by satnav and sentences range from two to five years in custody.

A spokesman for the RAC said in the majority of cases it was drivers using the device incorrectly, rather than the technology itself causing problems.

He said: “In a very high percentage of cases it seems to be the fault of the satnav users themselves.

“With satnav you are able to put in the type of roads you want to use and the ones you want to avoid.

“People driving heavy goods vehicles should therefore choose to avoid narrow lanes.

“Drivers need to get to grips with how to use them properly before they set off on a journey.

“If you need to change the settings on your satnav then always pull over to do so, because the last thing you want is to cause a serious accident.”

It’s not all bad news about satnav, research from the AA says if you are using a device you are likely to spend 35% less time stuck in a traffic jam.

The study also indicates that drivers using a satnav drive 16% less miles and spend 18% less time at the wheel than drivers without satnav.

The AA emphasises that satnav can be a real benefit to drivers if used in the correct manner.