Navigate Your Way To Using Less Gas

By Margaret Stokes & Chris Howell, NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Okla. -- Gas prices are falling a bit, but it's still not cheap at the pump. Many drivers are turning to GPS systems to make sure no fuel is wasted on missed turns.

Richard Pierce, a local truck driver agrees.

"I make wrong turns all the time and if I had one it would save me on gas. And that's really why I'm looking at them," said truck driver Richard Pierce.

Experts say within the last year technology has advanced significantly when it comes to automotive turn by turn GPS systems.

"They make GPS systems now that have blue tooth technology that will allow you to talk through your GPS unit," said Bryan Lowery who works at Best Buy. "Some also have MP3 playback capabilities as well."

When it comes to any type of technology, choosing the right one for you can be a challenge. Here's a quick rundown on what to look for.

First, all the GPS units talk back to you, but not in the same way. More simplistic ones will give you a command, while the most advanced will listen to your voice.

"All the GPS units talk back to you, but the more simplistic ones just say turn right here turn left here. The more advanced ones will actually say turn right on Harvard Avenue. Turn left on Lewis Avenue," said Lowery.

Prices vary from about $150 on up to $1,000. Experts advise the most important step is to keep your device up to date. That means taking the time to properly install your GPS unit properly the first time. You can even put a subscription service to get traffic and construction updates straight to your GPS.

"You can get a subscription service that will give you automatic traffic updates. It costs about $10 a month. Here locally, we go through clear channel," said Lowery.

Pierce is shopping around after a recent frustrating trip.

"I made a couple wrong turns. It took me about thirty minutes to get back around and make the right turn. So, I was thinking man, if I had that Tom Tom or that Garmin that it would have saved me a little bit in time and money, so that's why I'm here looking," said Pierce.

So, if you constantly find yourself driving around lost and burning fuel, looking into a GPS system might be your best bet.