Traveling is something nearly everyone does at some point in their life and, unless you’re made of money, you’ll most likely spend a lot of your time traveling in a vehicle of some sort. Navigating new places or even just finding addresses you’ve never been to before can be a daunting task, though. Not everyone is born with a built-in compass and can figure out road systems and highways without any trouble. The fact of the matter is – driving can be downright difficult and stressful. Luckily, technology has brought to life a method of finding your way a little easier. It’s called a GPS (global positioning system) device.
How GPS Systems Work
These devices use the network of GPS satellites in space to map out the roads, highways, neighborhoods, and more of the entire continent. They display this information in an easy-to-understand format on a screen with directions and different route options. Most of them even literally tell you where to go using text-to-speech technology that tells you exactly when to turn, what exits to take, and even how far you’ve got left to go on your trip.
Why You Need a GPS System
Car GPS systems have helped millions of people across the nation. They can help you find anything from the bakery downtown in your home city to a theme park several states away. Whether you’re a traveling businessman that needs to find the homes of clients or you just want to take your family on vacation to a hot travel spot, a GPS can help you out immensely.
Vacationing
Planning to visit Disney World, SeaWorld, King’s Dominion, Dollywood, or any number of other theme parks across the United States? Well, if you’ve never been, it can be rather confusing finding your way. Depending on where you’re coming from you’ll probably have to take a few different highways and roads that you’ve never been on before. This means not knowing exactly what exits to take, what lanes you should be in, or even official speed limits.
Using a GPS system from a company like Garmin or TomTom, all you have to do is type in the name of your destination the device will display different routes you can take to get there. Most GPS systems will even point out the fastest and shortest routes so you can get to your destination in record time.
Business Travel
Run or work for a business that involves meeting clients in person at their homes or offices? The last thing you want to do is show up late for an important meeting – it makes a terrible first impression! This is where a car GPS system can help immensely.
With most systems all you need to do is enter the exact address of your client and the device will show you the exact roads to take and turns to make to reach their home or office on time. They’ll even alert you when traffic is super congested and offer alternative routes so you don’t have to worry about being late for any of your most important meetings.
Visiting a Relative
Have a family member that’s ill or you just haven’t seem them in a while and want to drive out of town to pay them a visit? GPS systems are excellent for this, too. Just type in the address of your relative, let the GPS load up a route, and away you go! You’ll be able to find that new home your parents moved to, your great Aunt Bessie’s cabin in the woods, or even your cousin Joe’s beachfront property without having to annoy them with multiple phone calls asking where you need to go.
Conclusion
Overall, most people can benefit from having a GPS system in their car. While there are models out there that can be installed directly into the vehicle, these are often extremely overpriced and difficult to configure. The easiest option is to purchase a portable GPS system from a company like Garmin or TomTom. They work just as well, can be put away when not in use, and provide extremely accurate maps of most areas within North America.
Plus, with some GPS systems you’ll get additional features such as labeled POI (points of interest), lane guidance that helps you determine what lane to be in when approaching exits, tools to help you find where you can get the cheapest gas, and loads more. GPS devices are extremely helpful when you’re traveling, no matter what the purpose.
Ready to buy a GPS for your car? Be sure to check out our reviews of the following devices:
Garmin Nuvi 2797LMT
Garmin Nuvi 2557LMT
TomTom START 55M GPS Navigator
Garming Nuvi 54 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS
In all of our reviews we cover all of the features of each GPS, provide information about what consumers think of each device, and even tell you exactly what comes in the box.
