Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Authorities across the world keep calling for using common sense whenever we get behind the wheel, emphasizing that navigation apps have one major flaw: they're not always right, so they could get us stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Despite these repeated recommendations, people still take whatever their navigation apps say for granted. As a result, drivers getting stuck on various roads and calling emergency services have become a common thing.
It happened this week in Ireland when the country faced a major snow blast. With several roads covered in snow, it was obvious that following satellite navigation software wasn't the recommended thing to do. In these cases, drivers should get their data from government agencies, as they typically provide up-to-date traffic data.
However, a driver followed the navigation app on a road in the Slieve Blooms, and the local police called to pull the vehicle out of the snow. The Mountrath officers assisted the driver, but the police emphasized that the road was impassable due to heavy snow.
While this rescue operation ended with the man brought to safety, drivers sometimes put their lives at risk by simply following what their navigation app says.
The case highlights the big problem of navigation apps: Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, and pretty much any sat-nav solution can't be 100% accurate. These applications aren't always aware of traffic conditions, and real-time changes, such as a closed road or a broken traffic light, could wreak havoc on the routes they suggest.
It's why authorities keep calling for drivers to use common sense when getting behind the wheel and driving in difficult conditions or on unfamiliar routes. If you believe the suggested route isn't safe, you'd better stick with the route you know. If the navigation app sends you on a snow-covered or unpaved road that looks dangerous, don't take it.
Unfortunately, following navigation apps can sometimes have serious consequences. In 2020, two Russians left the highway to use a faster route suggested by their navigation app. They ended up on a snow-covered road that was no longer open to traffic. Their car broke down in an area with no cellular reception, and due to the heavy snow, they couldn't seek help. After several attempts to walk to the nearest city, the two passengers returned to their cars, hoping to survive until the authorities found them.
The driver didn't make it, and the passenger was found several days later with severe injuries.
Earlier this year, a dozen vehicles traveling from Las Vegas to Los Angeles were directed from the Interstate through the Nevada desert by Google Maps. After a long detour, all drivers returned to the paved road, some struggling with damaged vehicles due to road conditions. Google later removed the suggested route from Google Maps.
It happened this week in Ireland when the country faced a major snow blast. With several roads covered in snow, it was obvious that following satellite navigation software wasn't the recommended thing to do. In these cases, drivers should get their data from government agencies, as they typically provide up-to-date traffic data.
However, a driver followed the navigation app on a road in the Slieve Blooms, and the local police called to pull the vehicle out of the snow. The Mountrath officers assisted the driver, but the police emphasized that the road was impassable due to heavy snow.
While this rescue operation ended with the man brought to safety, drivers sometimes put their lives at risk by simply following what their navigation app says.
The case highlights the big problem of navigation apps: Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, and pretty much any sat-nav solution can't be 100% accurate. These applications aren't always aware of traffic conditions, and real-time changes, such as a closed road or a broken traffic light, could wreak havoc on the routes they suggest.
It's why authorities keep calling for drivers to use common sense when getting behind the wheel and driving in difficult conditions or on unfamiliar routes. If you believe the suggested route isn't safe, you'd better stick with the route you know. If the navigation app sends you on a snow-covered or unpaved road that looks dangerous, don't take it.
Unfortunately, following navigation apps can sometimes have serious consequences. In 2020, two Russians left the highway to use a faster route suggested by their navigation app. They ended up on a snow-covered road that was no longer open to traffic. Their car broke down in an area with no cellular reception, and due to the heavy snow, they couldn't seek help. After several attempts to walk to the nearest city, the two passengers returned to their cars, hoping to survive until the authorities found them.
The driver didn't make it, and the passenger was found several days later with severe injuries.
Earlier this year, a dozen vehicles traveling from Las Vegas to Los Angeles were directed from the Interstate through the Nevada desert by Google Maps. After a long detour, all drivers returned to the paved road, some struggling with damaged vehicles due to road conditions. Google later removed the suggested route from Google Maps.
Google News