Survey finds 83 percent of men occasionally disobey GPS directions

A new study has come out that may confirm a long-standing stereotype that male drivers prefer to go it alone when it comes to finding their way on the road.

Based on a survey conducted by a UK-based insurance company, 83 percent of male drivers regularly ignore or disobey directions given to them by their GPS, otherwise known as a satellite navigation system.

GPS should not replace a person's navigational abilities

While GPS systems are often seen as being a definitive resource for finding various locations, Steve Chelton, an insurance development manager at the company that conducted the poll, said men are sometimes right to 'go with their gut' when it comes to trusting their directional prowess.

"A [satellite navigation system] should aid your own navigational abilities rather than replace them," said Chelton.

Men weren't alone in disobeying the advice of their GPS system, as a number of women do the same thing, but the survey found that women do this less often. Just fewer than 75 percent of female motorists said they went against their GPS unit's advice.

The survey also found that many of the 3,000 motorists polled still place their trust in maps, as just under 66 percent said they kept a route map in the car in the off chance they needed one.

Sales for GPS units slipped in 2010

Ten years ago, GPS systems were hardly commonplace, but an increasing number of motorists use them regularly as a convenient source for roadside assistance. But as USA Today reported a few months ago, GPS systems may not be selling at the rate they used to.

According to numbers collected by USA Today from the NPD Group, which tracks portable navigation device trends, sales for the units dropped almost 10 percent through the first 11 months of 2010.

"In 2007 and 2008, PNDs were the hot items," said Tom Murray, senior vice president of market development for TomTom, in an interview with the USA Today.

Murray told the paper that technology sales in 2010 were largely centered on tablets and cell phones, in particular, as many of them are equipped with GPS capabilities.

Murray hasn't thrown in the towel just yet on GPS units' ability to mount a comeback in sales, telling the paper that many people prefer them because of the features they offer that cell phones don't, like a bigger screen, clearer audio and better reception.