The majority of motorists rely on sat navs, official figures show.
Some 52% of car and van drivers use the gadgets to get them to their destination.
It is the first time the Department for Transport's annual National Travel Survey (NTS) has found that most motorists in England have a sat nav.
In 2013 some 48% of cars and vans had one of the electronic navigation devices, while in 2009 the figure was just 33%.
Road safety charity Brake warned that misuse of the devices can present a "real danger" to drivers.
The organisation's campaigns manager, Gary Rae, said: "The sat nav is there to help you keep focused on driving rather than worry about directions, but it's not there to make all the decisions for you.
"Driving is an unpredictable activity, so you still need to look at signs, particularly those warning of hazards or speed limits, and watch for people and unexpected problems."
The NTS figures for 2014 show that 39% of motorists use a portable sat nav while 13% have an integrated system in their vehicle.