Modern people are increasingly reliant on smartphone navigation to find their way, but there are frequent reports of drivers or hikers venturing into mountainous areas, getting lost on unfamiliar, sparsely populated trails due to over-reliance on GPS, and having to call for police assistance. While mobile map navigation may work fine on regular roads, it’s best to carefully ask locals when heading into the mountains—don’t trust the navigation system blindly.
With technological advancements, most people download navigation apps on their phones, intending to avoid getting lost, but ironically, this can sometimes lead them astray. Such frightening tales of wrong turns happen quite often.
In March this year, a tour bus driver—with no passengers onboard—was attempting to drive from Liuying in Tainan to Dongshan’s Dongyuan. Unfamiliar with the route, he relied on his navigation system, only to find the road getting narrower and narrower. When he tried to turn back, the entire bus got stuck on a remote mountain path, turning into a scary ordeal.
While mobile map navigation is convenient and accurate on urban roads, relying on it in mountainous hiking areas or places with unclear road signs can actually increase danger. Experienced hikers recommend using GPS positioning in the mountains for better safety. Although phone navigation maps also have satellite positioning, outdated maps can raise the risk of getting lost.