Robert Jones, a professional car delivery person, followed the driving instructions of his Tom Tom GPS unit, driving a $47,000 BMW 5 series along a narrow, steep horse path, making u-turn after u-turn. Jones only stopped following the directions when the BMW hit a fence at the edge of a cliff.

It took 9 hours to rescue the car from the cliff.

Jones was found guilty in court of "driving without due care and attention" and fined $1300 and 6 points on his driving record. He later said that makers of GPS units should warn users that they are not flawless. (The owner of the horse path said he won't even take his own horses on it because it is too narrow.) Quite miffed at the fine and the points on his driving record, Jones added that "people who drive without insurance get smaller penalties."

While GPS units are useful, relying solely on them for driving directions is not a good idea. Kevin Clinton, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "Driving requires concentration and focus and road users should remember that they are the boss, not the [GPS]."

This is just another reminder that a GPS is not a replacement for a map--or common sense.

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