Technological Advances That Support SAFETY for Parents (And the Rest of Us)

I don't know..
I don't have a gps. Not sure I want or need one. I have been 'venturing out past city limits' since I had a learner's permit, lol. Seriously, when my Dad's job transferred him 2 hours south, I drove one of the 2 family vehicles during the move (my Mom was shotgun). I learned to drive in a new city (seriously... 2 hours away from everything else I had known).

When I was in college, my parents were transferred again. To two states away (about 6.5 hours). I got out the trusty atlas and state road maps and figured it out. Had my dad give me hand written directions for after the "big" roads ran out.
Shortly after college (when I was probably about 22 ?) I flew across the country (east cost to west coast) to help an old friend come back home. She and I drove from California to Florida, via Oklahoma (to visit her in-laws along the way). This was before GPS was around.
I keep maps in my car.
To visit family (my side and my husband's side both live 5 hours away in the same general area) I drive without even consulting a map. Unless I want to do something different along the way.
Have I ever gotten lost? Sure. But only when it was a "first" time trip. For example, my friend and I got messed up driving through Atlanta when we were coming back from CA. Got on a confusing interstate loop at 3:00 a.m. It worked out though.

I haven't gotten really lost in years! I am pretty good about knowing what to do and a sense of direction, unless I am in the passenger seat. Then I don't remember squat about landmarks, lol.

My SIL and MIL both, on the other hand, use GPS every time either one tries to drive down to visit us. They ALWAYS make a major wrong turn and don't really notice until they are an hour out of the way! (shaking my head).

I will print out a google map or a mapquest map with street names and mileage for an unknown type trip. It can come in handy if the roadmap doesn't show enough detail. And helps with estimating distances when you have to switch highways a lot. Also, I will use that to compare routes to see which is faster or longer/shorter.

So maybe Google maps and Mapquest would be my recommendations? LOL I don't "do" GPS. I've seen more people get lost or suddenly become incapable of seeing the obvious when using those things....

I'm with you on the GPS devices, they are a cool invention HOWEVER.. it seems that it sort of messes us up more than we realize. Like, I remember really paying attention to landmarks and such to make sure I would remember how to get to that same somewhere the next time. NOW, we listen to a voice tell us stuff and we just dont pay attention to the scenery anymore. I dont have a gps device, but have accessed it on my phone when husband and I have been lost and it really came in handy.. BUT, we used to get lost and find our way out before the GPS and I think it was more fun.

I would recommend maps (if you are driving), a cell phone, and an emergency contact or two which all members of the family.

i dunno. i think the frantic quest for safety has created its own perils. most of us don't remember phone numbers any more, and with the advent of GPSs we're slowly losing our ability to find anywhere on our own any more, let alone explain the route to somebody else.
the arguments to microchip one's kids is very compelling. it could totally keep them safe, and save lives. and yet some of us find it chilling. in my admittedly old-fashioned brain, safety and freedom don't co-exist very well, and i prefer freedom.
khairete
S. (who does, admittedly, use a GPS)