A BMW Driver Followed His Sat Nav Straight Into a River

Wales Online ^ | 6 FEB 2017 | HELEDD PRITCHARD

[nickcarraway]

The car ended up with water up to the door after driving into water in St Clears in Carmarthenshire

A driver had to be rescued after he followed his Sat Nav straight into a river.

The silver car ended up in the River Taf - with the water up to the middle of the door - after the driver failed to stop when the road ended and the next stretch was a ford.

The incident happened in St Clears in Carmarthenshire on Friday afternoon and the driver escaped without injuries.

Carmarthen Police said on Twitter: "A lucky escape for the driver of this vehicle. When approaching a ford please remember that your SatNav does not highlight the danger."

Police, fire and ambulance services were called to the scene shortly before 3.30pm on Friday and the man was rescued by the fire service.

A spokeswoman for Dyfed Powys Police said: "Police attended a report of a vehicle, a silver BMW, stuck in a ford in St Clears on Friday afternoon, Friday 3rd February 2017. The driver was out of the vehicle. No injuries reported.

"Police advice would be to always be aware of the environment around you when driving and pay close attention to road signs."

Fire crew from Carmarthen, Whitland and Milford Haven were called to the incident and recovered the vehicle.

A spokesman for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: " A car had become stuck in flood water and a male casualty was rescued from the vehicle by the Swift Water Rescue Team and wading crew."

A car was stuck for six hours in a water-logged car park

[Daffynition]

Meh. May I suggest a Skip Barber Driving School?

I realize most people won't take the time to *test* their car, whichever flavor you drive. With all the new features a newer car has, ABS, etc. You have to know how your particular car will respond on wet, icy, curvy surfaces. Emergency lane changes. Take it through its paces. Pull some panic maneuvers. It'll tell you a lot, and what might happen when you are in a tight spot with your car.

Some manufacturers run their own *schools*. I've been lucky enough to own and drive HP cars. Each is different; Makers are changing engineering all the time, which affects performance. Don't mean to sound pedantic about this, but some people, take their driving seriously. Most don't.

To get back to the car in the video; there's no way the driver had any experience with what that car will do and won't do in a curve. Dumbo. Got what s/he deserved.

[Woodman]

This whole thread made me do some more thinking about self driving cars. I wonder how long it will take for someone to get killed when the car can’t tell how deep the flood waters are?

[21twelve]

They already had a self-driving car drive into the side of a grey 18-wheeler trailer on a cloudy day!

[Daffynition]

Have a great day R2

[Responsibility2nd]

His dog? Ain't any smarter.

[Daffynition]

Ouchie!

[Rebelbase]

Or on a golf cart path before GPS existed.

[Comment Not Approved]

I invited my cousin from So Cal to hunting camp in Montana last year. I sent him turn by turn directions, two left turns only, from Big Timber, MT, which is a straight shot east from the airport he was flying into.

I even had him write down the directions so he wouldn’t get lost. So he goes north from Big Timber, crosses the Yellowstone River and makes the first right turn because thats where Siri told him to turn ... he had programmed in the ranch address where we hunt.

Six hours later he finally reached pavement again, some 50 miles east of Big Timber on interstate 90. It was growing dark and he had been in the middle of nowhere Montana, ranching country, and hadn’t seen a vehicle, house or person for hours.

I met him in Big Timber and guided him in, through both left turns. When we finally arrived at the cabin all he could say was “Fing Siri”.

City boys just don’t get it.

[Califreak]

Stories like this are why I just rolled my eyes, shook my head and thought, “Ah jeez!” when I heard the news about self driving cars.

More and more technology does not make EVERYTHING better.

[marktwain]

No, more technology does not make everything better.

It it doesn’t make it better, it gets abandoned and the old tech stays or other tech gets devoloped.

Then there are the unintended consequences, and the problem of more and more power in the hands of a few idiots.

But overall, tech keeps advancing because it works and makes life easier and better.

[marktwain]

I have had GPS take me on some weird paths, and I have had it save me a lot of time and trouble.

When I know the destination and route, I often ignore it.

One time in California, using the GPS, to get back on track after missing an exit in the mountains, I followed the directions in what seemed a problematic route. I had time and was curious about where it would lead.

We turned off a state highway to a county road, then to a dirt track which dwindled into a seldom used trail...

Which opened up directly into a four lane highway that took me exactly where I wanted to go in the least time and trouble possible...

It was an amusing experience, to say the least.