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Google Maps Sending Trucks on Narrow Residential Road Because No Navigation App Is Perfect

Google Maps is being used by millions of drivers out there every day in an attempt to reach a specific destination faster and more conveniently, but on the other hand, this doesn’t mean that everything the app says is always 100 percent right.
This is the narrow road the trucks were sent to 6 photos
Photo: Google Maps
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For example, people living in Hanford (UK) are now blaming Google Maps for sending large trucks to their narrow residential streets simply because the app believes this is a route to reach Radial Park in Stoke.

In theory, this is exactly how navigation apps work in the first place. They search for faster routes to a user-defined destination and then provide the instructions to follow them. In this case, however, there are two main problems that made Google Maps fail to serve its purpose.

First and foremost, Google Maps lacks a dedicated truck mode. In other words, the app doesn’t know users are driving a lorry, so it always provides routes with roads where a regular passenger car would normally fit.

And second of all, it looks like the suggested route is actually broken, as using Church Lane doesn’t allow you to reach Radial Park.

In all cases, truck drivers just have to turn on the narrow streets and then head back to A34.

Local media cites people as saying that Google Maps has therefore created quite a problem in their neighborhood, with one councilor explaining he has already reached out to navigation app companies to inform them about the error.

Until an update is provided (and until people stop using navigation apps wrong), there’s a chance that truck drivers would continue to end up on roads where their vehicles wouldn’t normally fit, therefore creating a major discomfort not only for them but also for people living in the area.

At the time of writing, Google Maps is still said to provide the broken route to people looking for a way to reach Radial Park.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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