Route To New Driving Success

Recent research by Halfords reveals that sat navs are still in demand with new drivers, with only 11% of motorists relying on road signs, and only 14% using road maps when driving to new destinations. The findings show that 46% still use a dedicated sat nav device and 24% rely on map and navigation apps on their phone when making a new trip.

The survey also revealed the number of times motorists had to take their practical driving test before passing, with a whopping 49% per cent passing first time, 31% taking two attempts to pass and one-in-five taking three times or more to pass.

The majority of those that pass are usually young drivers, with 45% passing when they are between 17-18 years old, 13% passing when they are between 19-20 years old, and 35% when 21 years or older.

Natasha Chauhan, Halfords’ sat nav expert says: “Whilst it might be tempting to rely on a smartphone app for navigation, there are still many reasons to turn to the sat nav, not least because they are a key part of new changes to the driving test. They keep your hands free while driving, remove the temptation to fiddle with your phone and have real time updates.”

To celebrate the new driving test changes and to save new drivers money, Halfords is launching a special offer on the TomTom Start 52 UK. The offer can be redeemed in shops as long as customers show their provisional or full driving licence (provided they have passed in the last 12 months).

The savings can be made on the TomTom Start 52 UK, the TomTom Go 520 World and the Garmin Drive 51 LMT-S UK.

Halfords also offers an in shop fitting service - WeFit - for all sat navs. For just £30, a member of staff will hardwire the power cable to your car's ignition, freeing up your cigarette lighter for any other gadgets. http://www.halfords.com/advice/technology/service/halfords-sat-nav-installation-service?cm_re=banner-_-wefit-_-satnavsetup

Natasha Chauhan from Halfords offers some tips and advice when it comes to choosing your sat nav:

• Sat navs keep your hands free when driving and prevent apps from interrupting or distracting you from your route
• Sat navs have live traffic updates and speed camera data to keep you fully informed
• When buying check which routes are available and up-to-date on the model. If driving in Europe, you may want extra maps built in
• More expensive sat navs offer more user-friendly features such as larger screens and traffic camera data
• Voice control on some models allows you to set the route with your voice