As many as 83% of satnav users have been misled by their system, a survey by Confused.com found.

Accidents caused by drivers going the wrong way have led to damage totalling £203 million in the past year, the poll also showed. Of those led astray, 52% ended up shouting at their devices, while 68% have ended up doing longer journeys and clocking up unnecessary miles.

The poll of 2,000 drivers also revealed that women were more likely than men to get angry with their satnav, with drivers in the East Midlands exhibiting the most rage.

Those happiest with their satnavs were from Northern Ireland, while drivers in Scotland appeared to be the ones most misled by their devices. The worst spot for satnav anger was the Welsh city of Aberystwyth, where 75% of drivers admitted to regularly losing their tamper with their device.

Gareth Kloet, head of car insurance at Confused.com, said: "As car insurance costs continue to rise, it's never been more important to keep your motoring costs as low as possible.

"Our research has shown that the satnav is not always the blessing it was once hailed to be and, increasingly, motorists appear to be citing the device as a source of frustration and danger."

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "When used sensibly, sat-navs can be useful in helping drivers to plan their journey and navigate.

"However, all too often out-of-date directions mean misdirected traffic - a scourge of local communities and an annoyance for drivers.

"That is why I am holding a summit this March to get highway authorities, mapping companies and sat-nav manufacturers to work more closely together to provide drivers with accurate, up-to-date information."