Sat nav age ‘has robbed us of natural sense of direction’

Basic navigation skills are under threat because of our dependence on sat nav, an expert has claimed.

Satellite communication consultant Roger McKinlay, former president of the Royal Institute of Navigation, believes the world is losing its way due to over-reliance on navigation aids.

Writing in the journal Nature, he argues map reading should be on the school curriculum. Describing navigation as a “use-it-or-lose-it” skill, he warned: “If we do not cherish them, our natural navigation skills will deteriorate as we rely ever more on smart devices.”