Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Madhyamam
People keep trusting Google Maps and other navigation apps, sometimes without even checking out what happens on the road ahead.
When you do this, it's only a matter of time until the worst possible scenario happens, as the smallest error in the navigation app can lead to a life-threatening situation.
This is what happened recently in India, where a car fell into a rivel in Kuttikol, Kasaragod.
The driver of a car following Google Maps directions didn't spot the flooded road ahead and drove directly into it. The flooded road was actually a bridge covered with water, so when the car ended up drifting approximately 150 meters, being pushed by the water stream.
The heavy rainfall made the bridge dangerous for vehicles, but Google Maps didn't know it. Locals claim that another newly-built bridge that is safer to use during bad weather is not far from this location, albeit Google Maps still suggests the old route.
The car plunged into the river but eventually got stuck into a tree. The passengers managed to open the side windows and get out. They called their relatives, who, in turn, alerted the emergency teams. The first responders and the locals managed to bring the two men to safety, but pulling the car from the river proved to be a major challenge due to the heavy rainfall.
While this case didn't end with a fatality, it's another reminder that drivers are always responsible for how and where they drive. Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, and any other application could suggest routes that are not safe, either because they are covered by water or due to the lack of pavement, so the driver must decide whether to follow the route. In some cases, navigation apps suggest routes against traffic signage, and authorities insist on the obvious thing: use common sense and follow road signs, not the navigation app on your dashboard.
This isn't the first time navigation apps send people on a dangerous route.
Earlier this year, dozens of drivers left the interstate guided by Google Maps to avoid a road closure. Instead of sticking on the paved road, they took a trail through the Nevada desert. After a couple hours of driving in the middle of nowhere, they hit a dead-end, with all drivers struggling to turn on the narrow trail. Some damaged their vehicles, so when they returned to the paved road hours later, they had to call for assistance to tow their cars to the nearest cities.
Google later acknowledged the error and removed the desert trail from its routing engine, so drivers who use Google Maps in the region are now told to remain on the Interstate even if there's a roadblock ahead, if no alternative route is found.
This is what happened recently in India, where a car fell into a rivel in Kuttikol, Kasaragod.
The driver of a car following Google Maps directions didn't spot the flooded road ahead and drove directly into it. The flooded road was actually a bridge covered with water, so when the car ended up drifting approximately 150 meters, being pushed by the water stream.
The heavy rainfall made the bridge dangerous for vehicles, but Google Maps didn't know it. Locals claim that another newly-built bridge that is safer to use during bad weather is not far from this location, albeit Google Maps still suggests the old route.
The car plunged into the river but eventually got stuck into a tree. The passengers managed to open the side windows and get out. They called their relatives, who, in turn, alerted the emergency teams. The first responders and the locals managed to bring the two men to safety, but pulling the car from the river proved to be a major challenge due to the heavy rainfall.
While this case didn't end with a fatality, it's another reminder that drivers are always responsible for how and where they drive. Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, and any other application could suggest routes that are not safe, either because they are covered by water or due to the lack of pavement, so the driver must decide whether to follow the route. In some cases, navigation apps suggest routes against traffic signage, and authorities insist on the obvious thing: use common sense and follow road signs, not the navigation app on your dashboard.
This isn't the first time navigation apps send people on a dangerous route.
Earlier this year, dozens of drivers left the interstate guided by Google Maps to avoid a road closure. Instead of sticking on the paved road, they took a trail through the Nevada desert. After a couple hours of driving in the middle of nowhere, they hit a dead-end, with all drivers struggling to turn on the narrow trail. Some damaged their vehicles, so when they returned to the paved road hours later, they had to call for assistance to tow their cars to the nearest cities.
Google later acknowledged the error and removed the desert trail from its routing engine, so drivers who use Google Maps in the region are now told to remain on the Interstate even if there's a roadblock ahead, if no alternative route is found.
Google News