GPS units are not quite ready for prime time in Floyd

Car_accident I have seen GPS units work well in many areas of the country but I have heard reports that they are unreliable guides in Floyd County.

Today one of my customers drove from Ferrum College to my shop in Floyd and his GPS unit took him over miles of single lane dirt roads instead of on a paved highway.  They had looked at a map before starting the drive but they put their trust in the GPS unit and got taken for a ride on two of the most difficult roads in the area.

Ferrum College is on Route 40 and our shop is off Franklin Pike and there are several different routes between these two points which have reasonably wide paved roads.

I can't even imagine how one would program a GPS unit to select the narrowest and most dangerous road to drive on. I don't think there is a GPS setting which gives you the choice of primitive back roads.

Those of you who have driven Runnet Bag Rd and Cannaday School Gap Rd know that even in good weather, you want all-wheel drive to avoid white-knuckle driving. In wet or icy weather, Runnet Bag Rd is extremely hazardous at any speed. One of of the curves even has a reverse bank which causes the car to slide toward the outside of the curve even at low speeds.

This customer was driving a small underpowered car with two-wheel drive and they definitely did not want to return to Ferrum on dirt roads.

Has anyone else noticed their GPS unit selecting routes that are a bit on the wild side?

[Picture credit: Raw Feed]

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