Police warning over sat nav use

Police in Cumbria are warning drivers not to rely solely on Satellite Navigation Systems when driving through the Lake District.

A spokesman said the route-finders do not take into account weather conditions or road types.

Officers from Cumbria Constabulary have been called out to an increasing number of vehicles stranded on high mountain passes in poor weather conditions.

Drivers between North and South Cumbria have been particularly affected.

Pc Christine Nelson said: "Most systems calculate the shortest route with the least traffic and nine times out of ten this will take you over the A592 Kirkstone pass and The Struggle when planning routes through the Lake District.

"These are high mountain passes which invariably experience adverse weather conditions at the summit, even when the weather may seem OK at lake shore level.

"People need to take a common-sense approach to route-planning by checking weather reports and roads information and should never ignore warnings when advised not to travel on such exposed routes."