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  While early models were expensive and occasionally sent drivers into fields or off cliff edges, the sat nav unit became a global success and is now one of the must-have driving gadgets.

Satellite navigation has been named the most significant motoring moment of the past decade.

To celebrate the first decade of the noughties, British online used car retailer Carsite, charted 10 significant moments from the past decade of motoring.  Included in the list is the retro revolution sparked by new Mini in 2001; the BBC's Top Gear TV show; the 400km/h+ Bugatti Veyron; hybrid electric/petrol cars; and the digital boom in private online car selling.

However it was the introduction of the accurate automotive sat nav unit in 2000 that Carsite considers the most significant development to motoring in the past decade, revolutionising the way drivers navigate road networks.  It began on May 1, 2000, when the US government stopped the intentional degradation or Selective Availability of the Global Positioning System (GPS) signals available to the public.

Civilian users of GPS were suddenly able to pinpoint locations up to 10 times more accurately than before.  At the same time, the first accurate satellite-guided navigation units for cars were brought to market.

While early models were expensive and occasionally sent drivers into fields or off cliff edges, the sat nav unit became a global success and is now one of the must-have driving gadgets.

Apart from the safety benefits of not having to drive with a map on the lap, modern satellite navigation units are now available with live traffic alerts, video and music playback, celebrity voices and even 3D rendering of landmark buildings.

Ten years on and the sat nav market is still evolving and looks set for a major change with internet mogul, Google, expected to introduce free satellite navigation software to the mobile market.