Letter of complaint to Garmin
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:58 pm
Below is a letter of complaint that I submitted to Garmin, regarding the role their unit palyed in my accident:
I currently have a StreetPilot 2610, software version 4.70, s/n xxxxxxx. I use this unit in conjunction with MapSource v6.11.1. All software/firmware versions were current at the time of my departure, on 15 July, 2006 on a cross-Canada motorcycle vacation. I have had this unit configured to avoid gravel roads for quite a while, if not from the time of purchase.
On the morning of August 7th, 2006, I departed Morris, Manitoba for Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, via Estevan, Saskatchewan. I chose to use the fastest route as determined by the unit. Things proceeded well enough for the first couple of hours, until I was routed along secondary "highways" in southern Saskatchewan, namely the 345 & 361. Both of these highways are gravel roads, something I explicitly configured my 2610 to avoid. Being unfamiliar with this area of the country, I followed the directions provided by my GPS, as previous experience lead me to believe that it was fairly reliable.
Riding along the 361, near the speed limit (80 kmh), I encountered a large patch of soft gravel. Hitting this gravel induced a "tank slapper" which is a violent shaking of the handlebars, and subsequently lost control of my motorcycle. The resultant wipe out saw me land on my head, destroying my helmet, both turn-signals on the right side of my bike, bent my handlebar, damaged my steering lock, and significant damage to the right cylinder head of my 2003 BMW R1150R Rockster; the clamping mechanism for my right-side saddlebag was snapped in half, preventing me from securing it to my motorcycle properly. In addition, I suffered injury to my neck and left shoulder, as well as some abrasions.
To facilitate repairs to my motorcycle, I had to have my bike towed to the nearest BMW dealer/service centre, Wildwood Sports, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a total of approximately 580 kms to the east. Waiting for parts, required that I spend 4 nights in Winnipeg, something that I had not intended to do on this leg of my vacation. In fact, if all had gone well, I would have gotten much closer to my home in Vancouver during that time, rather than deal with the aftermath of following faulty directions provided by my 2610.
I currently have a StreetPilot 2610, software version 4.70, s/n xxxxxxx. I use this unit in conjunction with MapSource v6.11.1. All software/firmware versions were current at the time of my departure, on 15 July, 2006 on a cross-Canada motorcycle vacation. I have had this unit configured to avoid gravel roads for quite a while, if not from the time of purchase.
On the morning of August 7th, 2006, I departed Morris, Manitoba for Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, via Estevan, Saskatchewan. I chose to use the fastest route as determined by the unit. Things proceeded well enough for the first couple of hours, until I was routed along secondary "highways" in southern Saskatchewan, namely the 345 & 361. Both of these highways are gravel roads, something I explicitly configured my 2610 to avoid. Being unfamiliar with this area of the country, I followed the directions provided by my GPS, as previous experience lead me to believe that it was fairly reliable.
Riding along the 361, near the speed limit (80 kmh), I encountered a large patch of soft gravel. Hitting this gravel induced a "tank slapper" which is a violent shaking of the handlebars, and subsequently lost control of my motorcycle. The resultant wipe out saw me land on my head, destroying my helmet, both turn-signals on the right side of my bike, bent my handlebar, damaged my steering lock, and significant damage to the right cylinder head of my 2003 BMW R1150R Rockster; the clamping mechanism for my right-side saddlebag was snapped in half, preventing me from securing it to my motorcycle properly. In addition, I suffered injury to my neck and left shoulder, as well as some abrasions.
To facilitate repairs to my motorcycle, I had to have my bike towed to the nearest BMW dealer/service centre, Wildwood Sports, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a total of approximately 580 kms to the east. Waiting for parts, required that I spend 4 nights in Winnipeg, something that I had not intended to do on this leg of my vacation. In fact, if all had gone well, I would have gotten much closer to my home in Vancouver during that time, rather than deal with the aftermath of following faulty directions provided by my 2610.