- A woman drove into a ditch in Navi Mumbai while following Google Maps directions
- She was en route from Belapur to Ulwe and mistakenly took a route beneath Bay bridge
- Marine security officials rescued the woman quickly; she was uninjured
A woman accidentally drove her car into a ditch in Navi Mumbai on Friday morning as she was following directions through Google Maps. The incident took place while she on her way from Belapur to Ulwe.
The woman was supposed to take the Bay bridge in Belapur, but Google Maps navigated her through a route beneath the bridge - leading to Dhruvatara Jetty. Unaware, she continued to follow the directions. Minutes later, the woman drove into the water.
The marine security officials witnessed the accident and quickly engaged in pulling the woman out of the ditch - who was seen floating in the water. She was rescued within a few minutes and was not injured. Her car was also pulled out of the ditch.
A video shows officials pulling out the white car out of the ditch using a crane.
In a recent update Google has released an official statement saying that the road under the bridge is not mapped for navigation in Google Maps.
“We wish to clarify that the road under the bridge is not mapped for navigation in Google Maps, and our internal review confirms that Maps did not recommend a route through it. The only route Google Maps provides in this area is through the Belapur Bridge over the Panvel Creek. We built Google Maps with safety and reliability in mind and will continue to focus on delivering a high quality navigation experience to people everywhere,” said Google.
Even though Google Maps has provided clarification for the incident saying the women could not have been using maps since the area is not mapped, It has mislead people and caused accidents - some even tragic.
Last year, three people died after the car, being navigated using Google Maps, climbed onto a damaged bridge and plunged into the river flowing 50 feet below in Faridpur when it was travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district. Google, responding to the accident, had asserted that it was assisting the authorities in the investigation. "Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. We're working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue," it said.
In another incident, a tourist group from Hyderabad drove into a swollen stream while following Google Maps in Kerala. According to officials, the road they were travelling on was covered by water overflowing from the stream due to the heavy rains and since the tourists were unfamiliar with the area, they drove right into the water body while navigating using Google maps. All four managed to escape unharmed.
