Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/The Oban Times/Iain Ferguson, alba.photos
The number of people who blindly trust Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, or whatever navigation app they use is increasing at a worrying rate. As a result, vehicles that can't get out of the sand on the beach, lorries stuck on narrow roads where they wouldn't normally fit, and people ending on closed roads become more common.
Authorities have tried convincing drivers to pay attention to road signs for many years, most often after failed attempts to work with sat-nav companies on updating their map data. Updating incorrect Google Maps data is sometimes too much of a struggle, so some authorities have already switched to plan B.
If you drive on the A830 and plan to enter Hillview Drive in Corpach, you will eventually come across an unusual sign that recommends against using navigation apps. "Do not follow sat-nav," the sign reads, adding that the road does not provide access to the foreshore.
In other words, the directions you get on your navigation app are wrong, so if you follow them instead of the street signs, you'll end up stuck and still not getting access to the foreshore.
We're not getting more information about what made the local authorities erect the sign, as the first step when noticing wrong directions in navigation apps is to contact the parent company to update the map. It's unclear if the Corpach council discussed the issue with sat-nav developers, but the signs appear to be a desperate attempt to convince drivers not to follow the guidance on their mobile devices or the infotainment screens.
Not long ago, the authorities in Clare County Council in Ireland raised a similar sign, telling drivers to ignore the directions provided by sat-nav software. "Do not follow sat-nav," the sign read, informing drivers that the road offers "local access only."
Navigation apps have become a necessary evil, particularly because they make every trip more predictable. For example, Waze uses an incident reporting engine to generate warnings displayed to drivers whose routes go through flagged locations, telling them in advance that they're likely to encounter traffic jams, broken traffic lights, speed traps, or potholes. Waze also looks for faster routes by avoiding road sections where you are likely to experience slowdowns, eventually sending drivers to secondary roads going through quiet neighborhoods or residential areas.
The number one problem in all these cases is that drivers ignore road signs. Relying on a navigation solution when driving is a good thing, but trusting it blindly and following all directions, even when they take you on unfamiliar roads that look dangerous, is a big no-no. Unfortunately, some drivers learn this lesson the hard way, sometimes getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, unable to call for help.
If you drive on the A830 and plan to enter Hillview Drive in Corpach, you will eventually come across an unusual sign that recommends against using navigation apps. "Do not follow sat-nav," the sign reads, adding that the road does not provide access to the foreshore.
In other words, the directions you get on your navigation app are wrong, so if you follow them instead of the street signs, you'll end up stuck and still not getting access to the foreshore.
We're not getting more information about what made the local authorities erect the sign, as the first step when noticing wrong directions in navigation apps is to contact the parent company to update the map. It's unclear if the Corpach council discussed the issue with sat-nav developers, but the signs appear to be a desperate attempt to convince drivers not to follow the guidance on their mobile devices or the infotainment screens.
Not long ago, the authorities in Clare County Council in Ireland raised a similar sign, telling drivers to ignore the directions provided by sat-nav software. "Do not follow sat-nav," the sign read, informing drivers that the road offers "local access only."
Navigation apps have become a necessary evil, particularly because they make every trip more predictable. For example, Waze uses an incident reporting engine to generate warnings displayed to drivers whose routes go through flagged locations, telling them in advance that they're likely to encounter traffic jams, broken traffic lights, speed traps, or potholes. Waze also looks for faster routes by avoiding road sections where you are likely to experience slowdowns, eventually sending drivers to secondary roads going through quiet neighborhoods or residential areas.
The number one problem in all these cases is that drivers ignore road signs. Relying on a navigation solution when driving is a good thing, but trusting it blindly and following all directions, even when they take you on unfamiliar roads that look dangerous, is a big no-no. Unfortunately, some drivers learn this lesson the hard way, sometimes getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, unable to call for help.
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