With a large number of the British population now having to travel as a part of their job role, motorists may feel that owning a satellite navigation system would make driving much simpler as it directs you to through the shorter and less congested routes.

However, according to a recent poll, sat-navs are likely to increase the chances of making a car insurance claim, especially for male drivers.

With a great number motorists relying heavily upon the piece of technology, a poll carried out by motoring.co.uk found that 50 per cent of those surveyed do not know how to use it.

With 30 per cent of males admitting the gadgets have got them completely lost compared to 20 per cent of female motorists, the survey suggests that there are more male motorists struggling to use the navigation systems in comparison to female motorists.

Furthermore, a minority of drivers using satnavs across the UK are using the gadgets with complete disregard for common sense.

Motorists obey sat-navs and ignore road signs

According to recent news, some Brits are ignoring road warnings and their own judgement and simply putting too much trust in their sat-navs.

Satlegh Mohammadi was taken to court after his satnav led him 20 feet along a railway line in East Goole, Yorkshire.

Teresa Slater, prosecuting, told Goole magistrates: "he[Mohammadi ] told the officers that driving on the railway lines was an error and he had listened to the instructions of his sat nav system."

Another man was told by his sat-nav to drive directly into a fence and off a cliff. The 43 year old survived the fall but was charged with driving without due care and attention.

A driver of a cab drove 200 yards into a river until the vehicle became stuck in the river bed after trusting his sat nav. The owner of the taxi firm said: “He was in the car with his trousers rolled up. Fish were swimming around the headlights.”

Steven Ablett, a 47 year old lorry driver had his 17.5 tonne truck jammed between two walls after he ignored a road sign warning motorists of the dangers to large or heavy vehicles when his sat-nav instructed him to drive down a muddy lane.

Calls for Government to take action

As a result of the increasing number of accidents caused by the gadgets, there are calls for the Government to take action to ensure that sat-navs take the dimensions of the vehicle into consideration before identifying a route.

Liberal Democrat shadow transport secretary, Norman Baker said: "The first thing we want to do is when a sat-nav is included in a vehicle, or is bought off the shelf, we want to make sure the information about that vehicle is in the sat-nav. That should be quite an easy thing to achieve."

Drivers are also being urged by the Department for Transport (DfT) to ensure they take “lawful and appropriate” routes.