“Turn In” versus “Keep Left” or “Keep Right”
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16 years
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You know how your Garmin tells you to keep left or keep right when another freeway branches off of the freeway you are driving on? In general, this is a useful feature, and I like it.
I also like the mileage to your next turn in the little window on the bottom right of the screen. When I am on a freeway, I like to know how far it is before I need to worry about doing something other than staying on the current freeway. If it says “Turn in 15 miles” I know I can relax for a while, but when it says “Turn in 1.5 miles” I know I need to start thinking about what is coming up.
The thing is, sometimes what is coming up is another freeway, branching off of the freeway I am on. I’ve been watching the “turn in” indictor count down, but when I get there, there really is nothing to do but stay on the current freeway. The “turn in” indicator box, by saying “turn in,” implies that I actually need to do something when I really don’t. The voice correctly says “keep left on (the current freeway),” but I don’t hear the voice until I am within 1 mile of the intersection.
Shouldn’t the “turn in X miles” indicator box say “keep left in X miles” or “keep right in X miles” in this case? Wouldn’t that be better?
On mine...
My 750 displays the next action to take on the top of the screen, so if it says "Turn In 2m" on the bottom right I can look at the top of the screen and see what it's expecting me to do. The top banner says things like "Keep left" "Take exit 50" and "continue on I-81".
Don't forget highway signs
I understand what you are saying. However, it is important not to become totally dependent on the GPS, especially in freeway interchanges. The GPS alerts you to an upcoming manuver, but it is still vital you look at the road and read the overhead sign markers to assist in your final lane decision.
Garmin Nuvi 750 & c530 with RT's vol. mod., Vulcan Nomad
“Turn In” versus “Keep Left” or “Keep Right”
I have TomTOm myself and it sounds like it works much the same way. I try not to get to dependent on the GPS when it comes to stuff like that. In fact if I could turn that stuff off it would be great. I only want to be told when I am going to be actually making a turn or leaving the freeway that I am on. The whole Keep left, stay left, thing sometimes drives me crazy.
My 660 does not do this.
My 750 displays the next action to take on the top of the screen, so if it says "Turn In 2m" on the bottom right I can look at the top of the screen and see what it's expecting me to do. The top banner says things like "Keep left" "Take exit 50" and "continue on I-81".
My 660 does not do this. I guess it a difference between models. When I am >1 mile from the turn, the bottom right says “turn in X miles” and the top banner just says “West on (freeway name).” When I get <1 mile from the turn, the top banner changes to “Keep left on (freeway name).”
If I press on the bottom right or the top banner, the instruction shown is “keep left on (freeway name).” But I actually have to press something to see it.
I think the message “turn in 5 miles” is misleading if you don’t really need to make a turn. It should say “keep left in 5 miles.”