Navman GPS for Australian Driving

Navman puts safety first with its newest range of GPS built for Australian driving conditions

Advanced safety features to help users become better, safer drivers

After its studies found one of the most important reasons Australian drivers use a GPS is to "feel more confident and safer" on the road, leading GPS brand Navman has focused on delivering the greatest number of safety-related features on its new MY Series range. The investment has paid off with testing conducted by independent consumer behavioural researchers 'Different' demonstrating the positive impact these features have on drivers, helping to keep them calm, composed and feeling safer on the roads.

The researchers studied the behaviour of drivers and their response to the range of verbal and visual guidance provided in the new MY Series and found drivers felt more confident, and hence drove safer and made safer choices, when they could maintain focus on the road, follow directions easily and when they experienced continuity of navigation. It also found drivers trust directions more when they have control over the route.

According to Wendy Hammond, marketing director, Navman Australia & NZ, the tests have validated the company's belief that a driver who is armed with the right information will have the best possible driving experience.

"Our new range - the Navman MY80T and MY85XLT - has been designed to support drivers with all the information they need on every drive, to keep them relaxed and assured on the roads. Drivers get greater value for money because even when "free driving" - that is, using the GPS even when drivers know how to get to a destination - it arms them with valuable information such as reminders about active school zones, speed limit alerts to let them know if they are speeding, traffic information and new Premium Driver alerts to warn of changing road conditions coming up.

"MY Series makes life more convenient by providing useful information on the go - so whether users need an ATM, chemist or parking spot, it helps them find what they need even en route. If a car breaks down in a busy highway, a new Roadside Assist feature can bring help without the driver having to leave the car. Other new features which make life easier for users include new Voice Destination entry to find an address by speaking to the devices, new Park Assist shortcut on the map screen to quickly help locate the nearest parking options, spoken street names in Mandarin and other languages and New Zealand tourist maps to navigate through your next Trans Tasman holiday like a local.

"Along with all these premium features packed into each model, the Navman MY Series also comes with a generous two year subscription to map upgrades and two years warranty for guaranteed peace of mind."

The researchers found that people driving without a GPS felt there were too many distractions on the road that divert attention, and information such as speed zone changes, school zones and speed cameras that can be easily missed. The research also found that drivers also often "zoned out" while driving, but when tested with a GPS the users reported that the GPS alerts helped them re-focus on their environment. Hence Navman's Spoken Safety Alerts, Speed Sign and Speed Limit warnings and Premium Driver Alerts that warned drivers of upcoming changes to the road ahead, were found to be particularly useful among the drivers tested.

The researchers also noted that drivers were more confident when they could correlate directions to what they could see in their environment, for example when participants were warned of any upcoming school zones.

Landmark Guidance, which gives directions using objects in the driver's environment such as markers, was found to be especially useful because it made the instructions easier to understand. Drivers reported difficulty judging distance at different speeds and reading street names at a distance, which is where the Landmark Guidance and the Spoken Street Names proved useful.

New Premium Driver Alerts keeps drivers in control and confident at all times as it prepares them for changing conditions ahead. Drivers are given warnings of things like merging roads, so that there are no nasty surprises. It allows them to make safer driving choices instead of driving erratically.

The Trip Select feature and Avoid Turns function aided confidence and safer driving behaviour because it gave drivers a sense of control and direction, so that they were able to trust the directions more.

Continuity of the navigation experience also helped drivers feel safer and more confident, and this was observed when participants were guided by the Tunnel Assist feature. The research also showed that people had a variety of ways they liked to take in information, so having tonal, spoken as well as visual alerts were found to really help drivers.

"Over the years we have been continually developing and refining features on our Navman ranges to provide Australian drivers with the best navigation possible. So whether it is giving landmarks so that directions are easier to understand or having driver alerts to warn them about potentially hazardous situations like upcoming sharp turns, Navman's MY Series will give users the most comprehensive information to help keep them safer on the streets," said Wendy.

SAFETY FEATURES IN THE NAVMAN 2011 MY SERIES

Prepares you for the road ahead with Premium Driver Alerts

It is often said that forewarned is forearmed and that is the thinking behind Navman MY85XLT's new Premium Driver Alerts. This new advanced safety feature gives users the heads up when there are changed driving situations ahead, so that they can be better prepared and adjust their driving if need be. The device will alert drivers when there are conditions like steep inclines or declines, high wind areas and anything that potentially requires them to alter their driving. Those driving in urban areas will appreciate pre-warnings of merging roads ahead while country drivers can be prepared for unexpected sharp turns or over taking lanes ahead.

Easy to follow instructions with Landmark Guidance
Navman's Landmark Guidance makes navigation simpler by providing spoken instructions at a number of easily identifiable visual cues like churches, museums and parks, for example, "turn right at the petrol station". By having clearer voice guidance, drivers keep their eyes focused on the roads without having to refer back to the map on the screen. It also enhances their confidence and calmness on the road.


Looks out for drivers with Spoken Safety Alerts
Keep safer and avoid expensive fines with Spoken Premium Safety Alerts. The Navman MY Series gives clear spoken warnings about any speed or red-light cameras including the new combined cameras, accident black spots and railway crossings along the way. The timed Spoken School Zone Alert tells drivers when they are about to drive through a school zone during school zone periods, which may be a side street or a main road they've just turned into. The alert helps them watch out for children and may save them from hefty fines. If the driver has been driving continuously for more than two hours, the Navman will flash a Driver Fatigue Alert, reminding them to take a break.


More ways to make it easier to find a destination
The new MY Series also gives users many options to find a destination. The MY85XLT allows drivers to find an address simply by saying its name aloud with a new Voice Destination entry feature. Not only does this mean more convenience for the driver, this hands-free function means that it is now even safer to use on the go.

Users can also use the Smart Find keyword search function to look up a destination by just using a keyword like the name of the park or business, so there's no need to know the address. You can look up an address using POI searches, intersection searches and for those who love to get technical, using GPS coordinates. The new MY Series also makes it easy for users to search locations nearby, along the route or at their destination.


Lends an extra helping hand with Roadside Assist
If you have any mechanical problems, help is within easy reach with the latest MY Series. A new Roadside Assist function will locate the nearest mechanic or other roadside assistance if your vehicle ever breaks down, and even lists the phone number which you can call if your device is connected to your phone via Bluetooth. This feature is particularly useful if you break down at a spot where you cannot leave the car, like on a busy highway, or if you break down on a long lonely freeways or unfamiliar area, it can even give your exact location so help can find you.


Helps you stay within the speed limit
With so many speed limit changes, especially in urban areas, many will find Navman's Speed Limit sign and alerts very useful - especially if it can save them unwanted speeding fines. Speed limit signage appears on the device to help drivers know the speed wherever they are, and an alert will sound if the driver goes over the speed limit.


New spoken street names in Mandarin and other languages

Unlike many other GPS units, the MY Series is preloaded with several other languages which work straight out of the box. The MY Series not only gives visual and spoken directions in other languages, it also says the street name (in English) for more seamless guidance. Users who speak other languages can now benefit from better and clearer directions to help them stay calmer and more confident on the road.

Puts users back in the driver's seat with Trip Select
The MY Series arms drivers with all the information they need, and then gives them the freedom to have more control to choose the best way to get to their destination. The MY Series' Trip Select provides a handy map overview giving a snapshot of the different routes that can be taken, depending on whether the driver wants to go the fastest, easiest, shortest or most fuel-efficient way. This helps orient the driver and gives them more control over their journey.


Continuous navigation, even through tunnels
Research found that drivers need continuous navigation to feel confident. The MY Series' Tunnel Assist feature guides drivers all the way through tunnels, even when there is no GPS signal, by estimating location based on average speed.

OTHER PREMIUM FEATURES IN THE NAVMAN 2011 MY SERIES

Finding parking has never been easier with new Park Assist
For even more convenience, Navman introduces a new Park Assist tab, which appears as a shortcut on the map screen of the device. It helps drivers locate the nearest parking options close to their destination and then guides them to the one they want. This eliminates fiddling around with the device and having to leave the map screen while looking for a parking spot.


Cross the Tasman with confidence with New Zealand tourist maps standard
The next time you cross the Tasman, don't forget to pack your Navman with you. New Tourist maps of New Zealand preloaded on the MY80T and MY85XLT have maps which feature hundreds of thousands of points of interests, including must-see tourist attractions, eating spots, drinking holes and accommodation so that you can travel like a local.


Know the best way to take, any time, any day to avoid traffic for no additional ongoing fee or subscription!
The models in the Navman MY Series have built-in historical data from SUNA Predictive so that when a destination is chosen, the Smart Route option calculates the best route to take depending on the time and day of the journey. That means that the route can be different if travelling on weekday mornings than weekend mornings. Using data from main roads and databases gathered by SUNA over three years, it is the most accurate historical traffic information of its kind currently available in Australia. The MY Series also features new and improved SUNA LIVE Traffic for even more accurate, timely and useful real time traffic information. Gathered from many different sources, the data is verified by road traffic authorities. The alerts given will be ones that are relevant to your journey, the service is free with the MY Series and gets updated every two to three minutes.


Two years free map upgrade and two year warranty

Customers who buy the new MY Series will have a generous two year warranty and two year subscription to map upgrades for 24 months from the first use date. The first use date is recorded when used in vehicles travelling over 40kmh.

The 2011 Navman MY Series still sports signature features that have made the range so popular. This includes the intuitive Smart Find for quick and easy destination searches, the ability to search for local information on Google and TrueLocal search engines, real time SUNA traffic included as standard, sophisticated navigation instructions including Australian spoken street names, extended lane guidance and 3D landmarks.

The Navman MY series is available at all major electronics retailers.

Recommended retail prices:
MY80T RRP$199
MY85XLT RRP$249

www.navman.com.au