Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Policía Local San Javier
Navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze are great tools if you use them correctly, and this involves not doing everything they tell you to do. Some of their recommendations are often absurd and dangerous, and common sense should help drivers make the right call and avoid putting their lives in danger.
A driver in Murcia, Spain, somehow believed that doing everything the sat-nav solution in their car suggested would be a great idea, so they trusted the provided directions blindly before they ended up with the vehicle in the Mar Menor lagoon.
The local police reveal that the driver entered the boat ramp, and despite spotting the warning lights and the boats, they continued to drive until they jumped right into the sea. They didn't even stop, as the driver wanted to continue the journey, pressing the throttle pedal for a reason nobody could understand.
The vehicle went forward for approximately ten more meters, at which point even the naïve driver understood it was impossible to use the suggested route. In fact, at that point, it was already impossible to use any route, as the engine was already flooded, leading to a complete breakdown that would turn the car into a wreck.
The driver managed to get out, leaving the vehicle in the water. The local authorities called a tow truck that needed approximately three hours to get the vehicle out of the lagoon.
Drivers trusting their sat-nav blindly have become a major concern for authorities worldwide, and some city officials decided to tackle the problem with dedicated signs erected on the side of the road. Some of these signs tell drivers to ignore the sat-nav and follow the road signage, though some people fail to spot them as they keep their eyes on the navigation software in their cars.
Unfortunately, these blunders don't always end well. Three years ago, two Russians who followed their navigation app to a faster route entered a closed snow-covered road. Their car eventually broke down in an area without cellular coverage, so they had to spend several nights dealing with brutal Siberian weather. The driver froze to death, while the passenger was found with severe injuries days later.
Other drivers who followed their navigation solutions ended up in the most ridiculous situations because they didn't use the applications correctly. An Amazon lorry driver believed to have used Google Maps to get to the destination entered the narrow roads of a small city in England, only to get stuck with the massive vehicle on the tiny residential streets. Google Maps does not offer truck navigation, so it doesn't take into account the vehicle dimensions and the cargo size, offering routes only appropriate for passenger cars.
The local police reveal that the driver entered the boat ramp, and despite spotting the warning lights and the boats, they continued to drive until they jumped right into the sea. They didn't even stop, as the driver wanted to continue the journey, pressing the throttle pedal for a reason nobody could understand.
The vehicle went forward for approximately ten more meters, at which point even the naïve driver understood it was impossible to use the suggested route. In fact, at that point, it was already impossible to use any route, as the engine was already flooded, leading to a complete breakdown that would turn the car into a wreck.
The driver managed to get out, leaving the vehicle in the water. The local authorities called a tow truck that needed approximately three hours to get the vehicle out of the lagoon.
Drivers trusting their sat-nav blindly have become a major concern for authorities worldwide, and some city officials decided to tackle the problem with dedicated signs erected on the side of the road. Some of these signs tell drivers to ignore the sat-nav and follow the road signage, though some people fail to spot them as they keep their eyes on the navigation software in their cars.
Unfortunately, these blunders don't always end well. Three years ago, two Russians who followed their navigation app to a faster route entered a closed snow-covered road. Their car eventually broke down in an area without cellular coverage, so they had to spend several nights dealing with brutal Siberian weather. The driver froze to death, while the passenger was found with severe injuries days later.
Other drivers who followed their navigation solutions ended up in the most ridiculous situations because they didn't use the applications correctly. An Amazon lorry driver believed to have used Google Maps to get to the destination entered the narrow roads of a small city in England, only to get stuck with the massive vehicle on the tiny residential streets. Google Maps does not offer truck navigation, so it doesn't take into account the vehicle dimensions and the cargo size, offering routes only appropriate for passenger cars.
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