Satnavs in the spotlight: Satnav tells driver to drive off cliff

(excerpt from today's Independent newspaper (UK) here)

A driver whose car was left teetering on the edge of a cliff after following his satnav was ordered to pay nearly £900 for driving without due care and attention.

Robert Jones, 43, nearly plunged down the 100ft cliff in his BMW after obeying instructions which sent him along a steep, narrow path, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, on 22 March.

[...]Speaking after the incident earlier this year, Jones, who works as a driver, said he trusted his satnav system and relied on it for his job.

He said he continued to follow the instructions when it told him the footpath he was driving on was a road.

Police officers were called to the scene after reports that a BMW was hanging off the edge of a cliff off Bacup Road.