> "In fact, most people these days are implicitly using maps - how often do people drive to new places without GPS navigation?"

I'd argue also they're using maps in an even more fundamental way - most driving occurs in places where the driver has already been, and relying on a wetware-stored map is a critical part of safe and effective driving.

Local knowledge - traffic patterns, weird traffic signal setups, difficult lane changes, etc, is pretty critical to driving well.