Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Surendra Bam/Edinburgh Live
Blindly trusting navigation apps can have serious consequences, from becoming a fatal mistake to being forced to spend the night under the clear sky until help arrives.
A lorry driver in Edinburgh escaped only with huge embarrassment after following the directions provided by Google Maps to find a destination. The driver entered Leith Street on January 18 as they were using Google Maps directions.
The navigation app allegedly told the driver to get across the cycle lane and the pavement and try to go down the steps. The driver somehow believed the suggestion made sense, so they tried to follow the directions, eventually getting stuck in a ridiculous position, catching the attention of everybody in the area.
It's not the first blunder that happens on the city center steps. Two other vehicles got stuck in the same place not long ago, and Google previously said the map error was corrected. According to the local media, Google Maps offers the correct route without suggesting the steps as a shortcut, so it's unclear how the lorry ended up stuck.
There are two issues that must be highlighted in this case.
On the one hand, blindly following a navigation app is never a good idea. Common sense makes a huge difference when using navigation behind the wheel, especially when the software suggests dangerous routes or detours that take you off the paved road. In this particular case, the driver had to make a turn over the cycle lane and the pavement, so they got stuck on the steps despite being obvious that it wasn't the correct route.
On the other hand, a lorry driver using Google Maps for navigation is a rookie mistake. Google Maps does not include truck navigation, as the application only offers turn-by-turn guidance for standard passenger vehicles. While an error in the map data might be the culprit for this blunder, drivers of large vehicles shouldn't use Google Maps for navigation.
Because it doesn't consider vehicle dimensions and cargo size, Google Maps can't look for appropriate routes, eventually sending drivers to roads where their lorries wouldn't fit. It wasn't the case here, but given the driver used Google Maps in a lorry, it's clear they weren't aware of its limitations.
Google has never commented on its long-term plans for truck navigation, but users worldwide keep asking the search giant to add this feature to Google Maps. Truck navigation typically comes with additional information specifically tailored to large vehicles, including road restrictions, width, bridges, tunnels, and other data where lorries and caravans would be allowed.
Google claims the Google Maps error is already fixed, but if you drive the application sends you down Greenside Lane, make sure you pay attention to the road before making a turn over the pavement.
The navigation app allegedly told the driver to get across the cycle lane and the pavement and try to go down the steps. The driver somehow believed the suggestion made sense, so they tried to follow the directions, eventually getting stuck in a ridiculous position, catching the attention of everybody in the area.
It's not the first blunder that happens on the city center steps. Two other vehicles got stuck in the same place not long ago, and Google previously said the map error was corrected. According to the local media, Google Maps offers the correct route without suggesting the steps as a shortcut, so it's unclear how the lorry ended up stuck.
There are two issues that must be highlighted in this case.
On the one hand, blindly following a navigation app is never a good idea. Common sense makes a huge difference when using navigation behind the wheel, especially when the software suggests dangerous routes or detours that take you off the paved road. In this particular case, the driver had to make a turn over the cycle lane and the pavement, so they got stuck on the steps despite being obvious that it wasn't the correct route.
On the other hand, a lorry driver using Google Maps for navigation is a rookie mistake. Google Maps does not include truck navigation, as the application only offers turn-by-turn guidance for standard passenger vehicles. While an error in the map data might be the culprit for this blunder, drivers of large vehicles shouldn't use Google Maps for navigation.
Because it doesn't consider vehicle dimensions and cargo size, Google Maps can't look for appropriate routes, eventually sending drivers to roads where their lorries wouldn't fit. It wasn't the case here, but given the driver used Google Maps in a lorry, it's clear they weren't aware of its limitations.
Google has never commented on its long-term plans for truck navigation, but users worldwide keep asking the search giant to add this feature to Google Maps. Truck navigation typically comes with additional information specifically tailored to large vehicles, including road restrictions, width, bridges, tunnels, and other data where lorries and caravans would be allowed.
Google claims the Google Maps error is already fixed, but if you drive the application sends you down Greenside Lane, make sure you pay attention to the road before making a turn over the pavement.
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