Brit drivers want their sat-nav to speak with a Geordie accent

By Tony Watts - Editor - 26/06/2008

Way ay, man! Or rather, you're going the wrong way ay, man. If Britain's drivers had their way, our sat navs would be speaking to us with Geordie accents. You'd be driving down to the shops and thinking that you were listening to I'm a Celebrity or Big Brother.

 

Very disconcerting.

But, according to research carried out on behalf of The Co-operative Insurance, nearly half of all British drivers would love to be driven round the bend by a sat nav with a Geordie accent according to The Co-operative Insurance.

The survey by the motor insurer asked more than 2,000 motorists from across the UK which accent they would most like to hear giving them directions. Northern accents came top of the pile beating the dulcet southern tones, with three of the top five accents coming from Bolton and Yorkshire.

The likes of Peter Kay and Vernon Kay have undoubtedly helped put the Bolton accent firmly on the map coming in at second place with 21 per cent of the vote, with the friendly tones of the Yorkshire accent voted third most popular at 16 per cent.

 

"Go oop road, lad, and thas turn right by The Ferret and Leek, and left by chippie." Can you see that catching on. No, me neither.

Despite the onslaught of eastenders on our screens, a traditional Cockney accent came in only fourth place with 12 per cent, the Liverpudlian accent garnered only 5 per cent of the vote, while the Brummies only got 2 per cent. So you won't be going on holiday with Enoch and Eli.

David Neave, Director of General Insurance at The Co-operative Insurance, said: “It seems that Northern accents hit a high note with motorists across the country including those in the south.  The results show that motorists want regional variations on their sat-nav systems.  It used to be that drivers expected their sat navs to speak the Queens English, but people want to have a choice now. 

 

"As long as the regional accent is easy to understand and concise, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be considered for future production in sat-nav systems."

 

Well readers, which accent - or whose voice - would YOU like to guide you along the Queen's Highway?