[ashis89]

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

Like so many have already mentioned, I would not blame google maps for this death. Simple logic, If I ask you to go jump in a well, will you? You won't, if you are in your senses.

Asking a person to jump into a well....isn't it wrong too?

I wouldn't pin the whole blame on Google but they have played some part in it. In broad daylight, imagine being routed through a narrow road between agricultural fields. The road keeps narrowing down and after a KM or so, you realize you can't proceed further and yet, you don't have enough space to turn around too. You can reverse few hundred metres before you find a spot to turn around. There's no real damage in this but still you go through a mental torture!

Technology and its disadvantages!

Edit: Asking around is the best approach which I follow diligently but there two disadvantages here:

1. At times, I don't find anyone around to ask.

2. The one answering my query might not have a good idea about the road condition and if my vehicle will be able to make it through. There was occasions where someone certified that the road is motorable but I found it otherwise.

[bosem123]

One should never forget that technology, no matter how good it is, is also made by a human. It is perfectly capable of making mistakes. Like many have said, blind reliance on it is not correct. If this continues, this world will read as- "Technology Era- The End of Common Sense"

First of all, why does someone drive into unknown territory and an unknown road at 1:45 in the night? We can apply the same logic to accidents on Expressways in the night, the only difference being that we can see what hit us. This comes as a rude reminder that eyes and ears must always be open on the road, both for the driver and passengers.

[Reinhard]

What a terrible thing to read! RIP the departed soul. Although - for something like this to happen, the car has to be doing "Hello? Pulis?!" speeds in pitch darkness on an unknown road. So while Google Maps will get the bad publicity, human error I believe does play a big part in such a mishap. Another example of how our people are still unaware of the safety hazards and surprises on our roads every next meter.

Off topic, isn't that a Ford Endeavour? The lower garnish & shape is unmistakable. I guess the stereotype of each large white car being a "Fortuner" got applied by the media. (I believe this must already have been spotted by most readers and might have been discussed already. Haven't read through all posts I'm afraid.)

[sahil624]

It’s a sad incident. May the person RIP.
To be relying on Google Maps completely is fraught with risks. While going from Delhi to Jim Corbett, we followed Google Maps completely. At one point of time we were taken through a route where it was barely of the width equivalent to Creta’s. We had to maneuver the vehicle through that lane with a lot of effort.

[sgmuser]

My thoughts are with the families and prayers to the departed soul.


It is a bit scary. I am a complete dependent of GMaps as I enjoy that convenience simply and many a times it helps but 1 or 2 times out of 10, it gives us a chill ride!

The car in discussion is a Fortuner, according to the article but could be wrong. How the door got jammed? My take in this is, that, there was a bridge still not submerged in the banks, and they started to follow that with their limited lighting. But slowly start to get deeper and deeper, hoping that it was just a wheel high water flow but it could be too late, they found out that it is not the case.

Still, wonder, why on earth for such a quality vehicle, the door got jammed. This is a big issue in the whole scenario. Whom to be blamed? Google? Local PWD? or these inexperienced ventured out on the mid night?

1. First it is Google who did not have a mechanism to give a warning or rapid updates or to simply avoid these kind of routes. The lives are at risk in this scenarios and as a responsible stakeholder, with their might, skill, experience and resource, they should have got some mechanism to fill this big flaw. Can they simply escape doing this in US?

2. Secondly, PWD to be blamed for not having (assuming none) a sign board. For e.g. we see multiple boards in every river/wadi crossing for this (still being get washed away) in the gulf region. For e.g. if you wonder, in Oman it rains a lot in the seasons. They also keep a scale vertically in the sides to show the depth, in case of flooding.

3. The people who were driving made too many mistakes, the most dangerous being the time of venture. But still, there could be other routes which GMaps did not suggest and these people followed believing GMaps and that is why I believe full blame goes to GMaps.

[Rigid Rotor]

Members have already pointed out that this is not the first time that drivers have been driven off the face of the planet by Google Maps.

I have also borne the brunt of Google Maps' re-routing efforts some which have seamlessly guided my vehicle literally up the creek without a paddle.

Some of the preventive steps I have taken are:

• Plan my long distance routes segment-by-segment on the PC using Google Maps and Earth.
• Identify key turn-off points for change of highways, etc and mark those points.
• Take inputs on the best routes through online forum discussions.
• Stick to highways or major roads, which are identified as such.
• NO planned night driving. Stop latest by sunset + 1 hour.
• Use another OFFLINE mobile app (in my case - Navimaps with Map my India database) and input the route with all the intermediate destinations.
• Confirm the route in the app by zooming in and checking each segment.
• Essentially this minimizes the re-routing function by fixing the route into defined segments.
• Use Google maps as a stand-by for contingencies. By judicious use of both apps, I now usually manage my long-distance driving without incidents.

In this context, I find the option of using a mobile based nav app far better than a vehicle's integral tablet app. The mobile allows one to sit at the comfort of a desk and plan the route on a PC meticulously and then transfer the same to the mobile app. Whereas if one is dependent only on the vehicle's integral tablet app, its more tiring sitting in the vehicle and planning a route, especially with multiple turn-offs. One is more likely to make mistakes or simply opt for automatic routing - which usually is the cause for all these incidents.

[any23]

This is a tragic accident, on the other hand Relying on any map blindly is pure ignorance. Somewhere on our forum i read to see google maps in ghat roads to tackle curves efficiently, but i think one must see the road and decide the pace or how to tackle the road, one cannot drive blindly following google maps.
I myself had bad experiences with maps.
As mentioned in our forum one should always try to follow standard routes to any destination, specially NH if possible.
Last year on our way to Goa Google map suggested a route from Belgaum to Goa via a severely damaged tarmac which as per locals is good to drive, after travelling to some 5-10 kms I took a Uturn and followed the standard route.

Driven Goa on 9thJan21 and thanks to Gmap and integrated map in friends KIA we ended up driving 100kms after sunset on barren under construction highway (NH748) driving on craters and ditches big enough to gulp away your car, came to a dead end where there was a diversion(no sign) and the under construction cement road ends abruptly that too without any ramp, google maps shows drive straight, stopped on time to avoid any damages to car and self. Google every-now and then suggested to take left/tight turn to some narrow jungle road deviating from under construction NH.
My fault here again this time around I started following lead car and not giving attention to my route plans(which as per our forum is heart of any road trip). Later i came to know friend was following KIA map ,some of sections were like traffic has to stop from end to to let traffic pass from the other end specially trucks.
The above mentioned 100kms are the scariest driven kms i have covered till date, me and my wife were praying to god constantly to help us get out of the situation safely.
On our trip to Munnar Google suggested a sharp right turn deviating from NH to save 2kms, but i followed teamBhp advice to follow standard routes be it long by another few kilometres, later on next morning on investigation hotel manager said the route is short but severely damaged due to rains and is not drivable.
Google should update the maps to not to reroute every now and then, there must be a feature which must indicate you to take U-turn and make you follow standard route, warning should be there if you have deviated from standard routes.
Problem with maps is that they reroute and lead to worst possible roads, AI is of no help here.

[InsaneSpeed]

I fail to understand how can anyone cross a submerged bridge with no markings, no lights no understanding of the route/geography in the dead of the night without any back up and only rely on google maps? While the technology may aid our decision making it may not be the sole option. In this case the driver must have miscalculated the depth of the water level and assumed that his so call SUV would simply glide over it.

[BLACNWYTE]

Very sad incident. My thoughts and prayers with the family of the deceased.

On another note, I used to be completely dependent on G-maps when venturing out on new routes. After an incident in Munnar, nowadays I seek help of locals to find/confirm the route.

As newly weds I and my better half decided to go for a weekend trip to Munnar and since I was new to driving and a complete novice to hill driving, we thought it would be better to use G-maps for navigation. The resort we decided to stay was away from town and located quite a bit into a remote location. As per the direction of G-maps, we took a sharp turn into a trail with barely enough space for our Swift with hill on one side and a deep drop on the other without a living soul anywhere near. My wife was scared and I was controlling my apprehensions with great difficulty. About 250 mtrs onto the road I decided enough was enough and lucky found a clearing large enough to turn the car around. It doesn't end there, now the maps turn us onto another dirt track and this one is wider but surely looked like an off-road trail. I was stupid enough to take the FWD Swift on the slightly damp and slippery path but after half an hour of slipping clutch and revving up we managed to tread the 2.5 km stretch to the main road to the resort. On the second road there were locals and they were looking at us with amusement. Later it was told to us by the staff of the resort that the path we used was not used by local vehicles since it's long and pathetic and also there was a shorter paved path to the main road from the other side. Thanks to Google Maps we looked like complete nutjobs to the locals.

[SulemanP]

Quite a sad thing to read about the incident! In 2018, I was returning from Goa via Ajara route, I wanted to go to Kolhapur but Google took me through Utturu a place quite away from the highway. I was travelling with family and quickly realized that I’ve been misled/misdirected. Thankfully it was day time and with help from the locals we somehow reached Kolhapur. Post this incident I’ve stopped relying completely on Google and I keep checking with locals for directions.

[Rit1988]

Extremely sad incident and it is quite true that in offbeat areas Google maps does tend to go bonkers sometimes (having myself been turned around in circles quite a few times) but I think as drivers we also need to be much more aware of our surroundings rather than just trusting technology. Am surprised that there were no alarm bells when the car hit water and the levels started rising.

[StarBoard]

More than Google, the local authorities and the driver's common sense are to be blamed. No technology is perfect, and although Google Maps has let me down a few times, it has helped me out on innumerable occasions.

Couple of times Google Maps has landed me in a soup:
In 2015, I was in Kurla area of Mumbai for some work and looking for a way to join the Western express highway. Google asked me to leave the main road and led me through a scary looking slum (Why Google? ). I initially doubted looking at the size of the road, but carried on. I continued for more than a kilometre till the road became so narrow that it was difficult to continue. But I had no option as there was no place for a U-turn. The locals had probably not seen anything other than a 2-wheeler on that road and started giving me annoyed looks. Then came the abuses for blocking their road and then a traffic jam of 2-wheelers, all shouting and gesticulating. Things became scary as my wife was with me. I was wondering how on earth am I going to bring my car out of this messy place. Will I have to airlift the car or something? Finally came to a dead end which was barricaded so only pedestrians could go further. With no other option and surrounded by rowdy looking locals I found a somewhat broad area, and after multiple bouts of wrestling with the steering and getting down to check, I managed to make a U-turn. Then went all the way back for some more abuses by the locals before exiting the same way I had come in, after a harrowing hour. I was lucky to not get assaulted and my car vandalised.

In 2018 when on the way to Mumbai on Mumbai Goa highway, Google somehow seduced me to leave NH66 and take a detour through the narrow lanes of the town of Mahad (Why again Google?) The worst thing was that it lured me onto a narrow no-entry one-way road choc-a-bloc with pedestrians and vendors. I got royally stuck and again had to face the wrath of locals, vendors and bikers coming from the opposite side. Finally one gentleman shopkeeper helped me out of the mess by guiding me through another narrow lane and eventually on to the highway.

Lessons learnt:
Don't believe Google Maps blindly and leave the main roads/highways in an unknown area.
Use common sense.

[chetancm7]

Indeed it is a sad news! This is the main reason IMHO feel that we should not travel during nights or when visibility is poor that too to unknown locations and places.

Google map is unreliable and I can honestly say I don't use it at all.

We know we cant expect google to unexpectedly know these things but what is the point in having an online map then if it isn't reliable!

I just happen to get an article about this by the government.

"The country's mapping and surveying agency, Survey of India, urged citizens to stop relying on Google Maps and Google Earth, saying neither has been authenticated by the government, reported Business Standard. To encourage this, the SoI made its own maps available online for citizens to use at no cost."
The news dates back to 2017 not sure how authentic it is though.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/google-map...as-unreliable/

[Mile_Breaker]

May be the car was at a high speed when it suddenly plunged into the water giving very little time for the driver to react. The incident happened at 1:45 am when roads were empty and GMAP possibly showing straight road ahead and the poor soul driving a top SUV in an unknown route for him. Definitely a wake up call not just for over reliance on technology these days but also on our approach towards driving at night. Unless the route is well known to the driver one should stay put from night driving. Poor soul. RIP.

[NiInJa]

This is tragic, a combination of Human error and reliance on technology without considering its limitations.

Google's traffic data is based on users sharing their movement. As pointed out, the road is operational when dam water is not released, so it must have shown the road as 'drive-able'. Google gives option to report sections of roads as closed but most people don't report it (myself included). Also, nobody must have used the road for some time for google to update its status. In Pune, we have a similar situation every rainy season. Baba Bhide bridge goes under water when dam water is released, but google updates it accordingly every time this happens (possibly the Police/Fire Department do it).

In remote places, google has failed me quite a few times, so much that I've switch to the in-built navigation that came with the ICE whenever I am driving in remote areas. Its a bit tedious to search with exact locations, but has always kept my car away from dangerous roads.

A tip while using google maps in remote areas, try switching to terrain mode and 2D view with map orientation fixed to North Direction. It gives a better view of what is around your location. I wonder if they would have spotted the water body using this technique.