Google Maps has evolved to become a great navigational tool providing useful directions to road users on the quickest routes and other ancillary information. But a potentially fatal flaw was noticed recently when it directed users to ply roads that were closed or dangerous due to the massive snowfall in the area. A horrified user Crystal A. Kolden (@pyrogeog) tweeted Google Maps with a screenshot showing the route between Sacramento, California, and Reno, Nevada.
Kolden pointedly labeled Google Maps as an abject failure. He accused Google Maps of sending people up a poorly maintained forest road with the risk of fatal accidents due to the terrain and a severe blizzard. Although there were no verified reports of accidents in the area that could be linked to the dangerous Google Maps directions, it is still deeply concerning.
The directions recommended by Google Maps take travelers through Marysville Road, a narrow two-lane path that passes through the Tahoe National Forest. Another Twitter user warned Android users of Google Maps, saying that the Android version of the app does not seem to report road closures.
.@googlemaps This is an abject failure. You are sending people up a poorly maintained forest road to their death in a severe blizzard. Hire people who can address winter storms in your code (or maybe get some of your engineers who are stuck in Tahoe right now on it). pic.twitter.com/IzagAXzBtA
— Dr. Crystal A. Kolden 🔥 (@pyrogeog) December 28, 2021
Thankfully, there were warnings to motorists in the area to avoid using that route as an alternative to the 1-80 closure, including a tweet by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
The National Weather Service (NWS) also said that five to nine feet of snow have fallen in the Lake Tahoe area over the last week, and the conditions could remain unchanged for a while.
As has been seen severally, tech innovations may not provide foolproof measures in extreme weather situations. It is always advisable to rely on multiple sources, together with hardwired common sense to reach the best decision.
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