Google Maps Finds Illegitimate Obstructions on Routes Irritating
During the Ascension Day weekend in Germany, Google Maps caused widespread confusion among travelers by displaying false road closures on major highways. The error led to significant disruption and frustration among drivers who relied on the navigation app for their journey plans.
According to reports, sections of roads in cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, and other major German cities were marked as closed on Google Maps, despite being open. Police in several regions, including Hamburg, Frankfurt, Mainz, and North Rhine-Westphalia, clarified that there were no real road closures in effect. Furthermore, parts of the Netherlands and Belgium were also affected by the glitch. After several hours, the false indications disappeared.
The reasons for this mistake remain unclear. A Google spokesperson stated that the company is currently investigating the issue internally and declined to comment on individual cases. It is believed that the data for Google Maps comes from various sources, including third-party providers, public sources, and user inputs. The spokesperson added that users could report errors or missing entries using an existing reporting tool.
Similar issues have occurred in the past. Earlier this month, there were reports of Google Maps showing supposedly closed highway tunnels in Thuringia, only to rectify the error after the police complained. In the past, the police in Thuringia had also expressed concerns about inaccurate traffic information on Google Maps.
During the Ascension Day weekend, road travel was expected to be particularly busy due to the holiday on Wednesday and the closure of schools in many northern and eastern German states on Friday. As a result, many families were likely planning short trips. According to ADAC, the day before Ascension Day has been one of the most congested days of the year in recent years. Drivers who checked alternative navigation apps like Apple Maps or Waze found that traffic was normal on the supposedly closed roads, highlighting the importance of cross-checking traffic information from multiple sources to avoid similar disruptions in the future.
The Commission has also been consulted on the technology used by Google Maps, due to the recent widespread confusion caused by false road closures during the Ascension Day weekend. The technology, which sources data from various providers, public sources, and user inputs, came under scrutiny following the incident, raising questions about its reliability.
