Six short checks, taken before the engine starts. None of them takes long, and together they turn a journey you are following into a journey you are navigating. Work down the list, or take only the sections that matter for the trip ahead.
Nothing here asks for an email address. Read it on this page, print it, or take the PDF and keep it in the vehicle.
Most journeys that go wrong were aimed at the wrong place from the beginning.
Check the full address, not only the postcode.
Confirm the postcode actually lands on the building, not on a nearby field, depot or street of the same name.
Look at the destination on a map or aerial view so you know what you are arriving at.
Note the entrance you need if the site has more than one.
02Check the route suits the vehicle
A satnav set for a car will happily route any vehicle down a road meant for cars.
Tell the device what you are driving if it lets you, and check the setting has stuck.
If your vehicle is longer, taller, wider or heavier than a car, look over the route yourself rather than assuming the device has allowed for it.
Watch for narrow lanes, tight turns, low bridges, weight limits and restricted access, and obey the signs you meet on the road.
Think about where you can stop, turn or park at the far end.
03Review the route as a whole
Knowing the shape of the journey is what lets you recognise a wrong turn.
Look at the whole route before you set off, not just the first instruction.
Note the main roads it uses and the general direction of travel.
Check the distance and rough duration so a large change during the journey stands out.
Decide whether the fastest route is the one you actually want to drive.
04Note the junctions that matter
A few landmarks in mind are worth more than a hundred turn-by-turn prompts.
Identify the two or three junctions where an error would cost the most time.
Note the road numbers and place names you expect to see signed at each one.
Look at the final approach in detail, because that is where addresses are hardest to find.
Have a rough idea of an alternative if a road is closed.
05Prepare for traffic and for losing the signal
Live traffic is advice. A device with no signal is a device with no answers.
Treat a suggested faster route as advice to weigh up, not an instruction to obey.
Ask whether the saving is worth unfamiliar roads and extra decisions.
Save or download the route for offline use if the area has poor coverage.
Carry a charger, and keep a written note of the address and a phone number for the destination.
06Keep the final decision
The device supplies information. You supply the judgement.
If an instruction looks wrong, it may well be wrong. Continue safely and let the route recalculate.
Follow the road signs and markings in front of you rather than the screen.
Do not reverse, stop or turn suddenly because a device told you to.
Pull over somewhere safe before studying the map or changing the destination.
Satnav guides. The driver decides.
Road signs, road markings and the law always come before anything a navigation device displays. This checklist is general preparation advice and does not cover the specific legal requirements for any particular vehicle or route.
www.road-navigation.com
The six principles behind this checklist — planning, confirming, familiarising, observing, anticipating and positioning — are set out in full in Road Navigation: The Principles Explained.