By HEATHER BAUGHMAN

baughman@crescent-news.com

There are no passengers in the car, yet while traveling down the road a familiar voice chimes in and says, "Turn left in 200 feet." The popularity of global positioning systems, or GPS, is growing, with people opting for these small electronic devices over a traditional road map.

Whether it's part of a new vehicle package or an add-on, more and more people are making GPS or other navigation systems a part of their lives.

Heather Grennay, salesman at Beckman Chevrolet Cadillac, said she noticed the popularity of navigation systems increasing two to three years ago. Today, with all 2007 and newer General Motors vehicles equipped with a standard one-year, turn-by-turn OnStar navigation system, more and more people are learning that they no longer need to pull out their bulky maps or seek MapQuest's advice before hitting the road.

"It's easy to use. All you have to do is push a button and tell OnStar where you want to go," Grennay said.

Terry Walter, salesman at Snyder Chevrolet in Napoleon, said GPS navigation is the wave of the future. "Anytime you can get help by just pushing a button, it's good news," he said, adding that the OnStar and in-dash GPS systems are "a lot easier than stopping for directions."

Walter said navigation systems are also popular with older drivers who may be unfamiliar with new roads. Instead of picking up a cell phone to ask for directions, people can now rely on navigation systems to tell them if they're on track -- or off track, in which case the narrator will tell the driver how to get back on course.

For those who want to take their navigation system a step farther, GM offers an in-dash navigation screen that provides a visual map, along with audio turn-by-turn directions.

It's been Grennay's experience that people shopping for vehicles with the in-dash navigation system will spend the extra money to purchase these units.

She said for every 10 Suburbans that she sells, at least one will be equipped with the navigation system.

For vehicles without OnStar or other factory-installed GPS units, portable units are available -- and quite popular.

Dave Pigman, manager of Charlie's Car Care, Defiance, said he's been getting more and more calls over the past few months for GPS units, which the business sells and installs.

"Basically, everyone is buying them," Pigman said, "from truck drivers to business people to the regular person. Just about everybody is buying them."

The small, pocket-size devices are a popular gizmo to have on hand when trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. "They're a lot easier than reading a map," Pigman said, noting that GPS units tell drivers exactly where they need to go to get to their desired destination.

As long as the driver successfully inputs their starting point and destination, their GPS unit will tell them where their hotel, appointment or friend's house is located. "They're real informative," he said.