Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
Google Maps is a fantastic application that makes every journey faster, easier, and safer, but it's not always this way. Drivers who trust Google Maps blindly typically find it the hard way, as they end up in the most awkward moments due to the navigation app.
A navigation blunder in Canada causes at least a dozen motorists to drive in the wrong direction on a one-way street daily. A resident explained in an interview for Canadian media that Glen Avenue, which became a one-way street approximately two years ago, has become a major pain in the neck for those living in the region and drivers unfamiliar with the route.
Despite Google Maps showing the road correctly as a one-way street, once users enable navigation, they end up being set in the wrong direction, too. Theoretically, Google Maps knows it's a one-way road, given it shows the correct information on the map, but its navigation engine ignores the travel direction and keeps suggesting the same road regardless of which way you're going.
Unsurprisingly, the Google Maps blunder has already produced major inconvenience, with some drivers blocking the exit of motorists driving in the correct directions.
However, residents explain that Google must update the Maps routing guidance ASAP, as people going in the wrong direction could become a serious problem for the local school, increasing the risk of accidents.
Google typically updates Maps information based on user reports - users can't make edits but can submit suggestions that are then validated by Google's teams. Occasionally, some requests are processed automatically.
It's not the case with this error, as people living in the region claim they contacted Google repeatedly, but the search giant ignored their requests.
While Google Maps has its share of guilt because the parent company doesn't update the broken navigation directions, drivers ignore the road signage that clearly indicates Glen Avenue is a one-way street. Authorities erected signs on both ends of the road, but drivers still end up going in the wrong direction, passing right in front of the signs.
Google told local media that it received reports from users in the region and is now looking into the problem. As of this week, the routing engine should no longer suggest the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, the problem seems exclusive to Google Maps, as other navigation apps, including the Google-owned Waze, show the correct travel direction when including this road in suggested routes. Apple Maps, the native navigation software bundled with iPhones, shows correct information, too.
If you encounter similar errors, you must remember that the driver is always responsible for their actions, and they must first pay attention to road signs. No matter what the navigation app says, following the instructions in road signage is a must.
Despite Google Maps showing the road correctly as a one-way street, once users enable navigation, they end up being set in the wrong direction, too. Theoretically, Google Maps knows it's a one-way road, given it shows the correct information on the map, but its navigation engine ignores the travel direction and keeps suggesting the same road regardless of which way you're going.
Unsurprisingly, the Google Maps blunder has already produced major inconvenience, with some drivers blocking the exit of motorists driving in the correct directions.
However, residents explain that Google must update the Maps routing guidance ASAP, as people going in the wrong direction could become a serious problem for the local school, increasing the risk of accidents.
Google typically updates Maps information based on user reports - users can't make edits but can submit suggestions that are then validated by Google's teams. Occasionally, some requests are processed automatically.
It's not the case with this error, as people living in the region claim they contacted Google repeatedly, but the search giant ignored their requests.
While Google Maps has its share of guilt because the parent company doesn't update the broken navigation directions, drivers ignore the road signage that clearly indicates Glen Avenue is a one-way street. Authorities erected signs on both ends of the road, but drivers still end up going in the wrong direction, passing right in front of the signs.
Google told local media that it received reports from users in the region and is now looking into the problem. As of this week, the routing engine should no longer suggest the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, the problem seems exclusive to Google Maps, as other navigation apps, including the Google-owned Waze, show the correct travel direction when including this road in suggested routes. Apple Maps, the native navigation software bundled with iPhones, shows correct information, too.
If you encounter similar errors, you must remember that the driver is always responsible for their actions, and they must first pay attention to road signs. No matter what the navigation app says, following the instructions in road signage is a must.
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