GPS maps out the future

In days gone by, finding your way to that great holiday location involved getting the right map, making sure someone could read it and avoiding those front-seat arguments as you head down a dead-end street.

Now plenty of tools and gadgets prevent you from losing your way and your temper.

Online mapping websites help create a detailed map of how to get to your destination, with a set of turn-by-turn instructions.

The two most popular are Whereis.com and Google Maps.

According to Sensis data, Whereis.com delivered up to 68.8 million maps in October, equivalent to 26 maps per second. The popular searches include train stations, shopping centres, hospitals and airports.

Whereis.com senior product manager Belinda Lang said in warmer months the website experiences a jump in the number of searches for locations such as beaches, parks and swimming pools.

It has focused some of its efforts towards increasing the amount of aerial imagery on its website, particularly in holiday areas. “Tourist and regional areas are very popular for searches and this is where we are looking at extending our aerial photography,” Lang says.

“We get a lot of people coming to the site wanting directions for on foot; to calculate how long it takes to walk.”

A more hi-tech method of finding your way to your holiday destination is by using an in-car global positioning system (GPS).

A drop in the cost of these devices over the past year has seen a big growth in sales.

“The speed in growth of GPSs is enormous. This year the sale of in-car GPS units will probably exceed $750,000 and next year we'll see $1.1 million,” Mio Technology national sales manager Peter Ferrigno says. “As the product has developed ... it's opened up a whole new audience.”

While many people still baulk at the price of a GPS compared to a printed street directory, Ferrigno believes GPSs offer a much safer driving experience. “Gone are the days of cradling a Sydways or UBD on your lap and glancing down while you're driving, with the risk of running up the backside of the car in front of you,” Ferrigno says.

Apart from showing the driver where to go, GPS devices can also display information such as traffic congestion, helping to guide the user away from roads that have turned into parking lots.

The SUNA Traffic Channel, recently launched in Melbourne, broadcasts information on traffic and road conditions directly to GPS navigation systems in real-time.