The Weird World of Wheels: Sat-nav calamities

Mercedes in stream

What do you get if you cross a Mercedes, a farmer's track and some questionable sat-nav directions?

Ker-SPLASH.

In March this year, the driver of the £96,000 Mercedes drove down a track in the village of Sheepy Magna, and found herself and her car being swept 600 yards down the River Sense, which was swollen due to heavy rain.

The woman, who was on her way to a Christening, was rescued by Alice Clark, a 24-year-old stables owner.

Ms Clark said: "Afterwards she sent me a big bouquet of flowers to say 'thank you'."

Over the edge

In April 2006 the village of Crackpot hit the headlines as the place where sat-navs were erroneously sending motorists - down a steep, twisty road next to a 100ft cliff.

Cars, trucks and even minibuses were sent down the track.

Local residents Carol and Steven Porter had to rescue at least one driver a week, by pulling them out with a tractor.

Mrs Porter said: "We get a lot of sales reps in posh cars coming and they get so cross."

A spokesperson for the sat-nav company said the route had been updated to remove as a through-route from their system.

Lost

Some coach drivers should have paid more attention in history and geography classes. Particularly the coach driver who took a party of schoolchildren to Hampton Court in March this year.

The driver punched the name of his destination into his sat-nav, and set off from the school in Fareham in Hampshire.

Three and a half hours later they arrived at Hampton Court.

Hampton Court - the side street in Islington, London, 22 miles away from their intended destination in Richmond-Upon-Thames.

Realising their mistake, the group turned around and attempted to drive back through the Capital's streets.

They became so lost a teacher stopped the bus, got off, bought a map and gave it to the driver.

Apparently even this failed to solve the problem, and a call was put in to the children's school, who looked up the route home on the internet.

Video: Alternative sat-nav

Here's an alternative take on the sat-nav subject.