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Truck Driver Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere, Technology Saves Him

The technology world has evolved so much in the last decade that it’s nearly impossible to get lost these days and don’t know where you are, though there are remote areas where using navigation apps and other mobile tools isn’t necessarily as convenient as you’d expect it to be.
what3words address generation 14 photos
Photo: what3words
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And a truck driver who got stuck on an unmarked road near Lyman, Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine is the living proof in this regard, as the man just couldn’t get his vehicle out but wasn’t able to tell the emergency services where he was either.

In theory, an app like Google Maps or pretty much any other navigation software would have come in handy, but for some reason, the driver couldn’t use such tools, so instead, he decided to call the local emergency services to ask for help and get assistance to figure out where he was.

The operator prompted him to retrieve the location using what3words, a platform that divides the world into 10-feet (3-meter) squares and then gives each square a unique address made of three random words. This way, the accuracy is extremely high, and in the case of this driver, the three random words pointed the first responders exactly to his location.

A tanker truck managed to tow the truck and pull it to a proper road where the driver was eventually able to continue his route.

While the whole thing shows that what3words can be a life-saving service when used accordingly, it also proves that technology has become a critical part of our experience behind the wheel, helping us not only find a specific destination easier but also to reach it faster and safer.

On the other hand, it goes without saying we should never, ever trust navigation software blindly. Unfortunately, some people still do it, and this is how they end up freezing to death in the middle of nowhere or falling into lakes guided by navigation software.
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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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