Google Maps navigation errors lead to vehicle incidents in Uttar Pradesh
Google Maps reportedly directed a coal truck through narrow village streets in Baghpat and a car onto an under-construction flyover in Maharajganj, both causing vehicles to become stuck. The navigation app did not account for active road construction, vehicle size limits, or incomplete infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh.
What happened
In Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, truck driver Sitaram from Udaipur, Rajasthan, was operating a coal-laden trailer from Surat when Google Maps directed him to exit the expressway near the EPE Bada Gaon toll. Maps showed a route through the village because the main road had bridge construction, but this route was too narrow for the trailer.
After struggling to turn the trailer near Bada Gaon and proceeding to the main road, the vehicle became stuck at a narrow junction where it also damaged house steps. The trailer was extracted after several hours.
In Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, a car traveling from Nepal toward Gorakhpur around 1 a.m. was directed onto an under-construction flyover on National Highway-24. When the road ended abruptly, the car's brakes failed to prevent it sliding to the edge, leaving it hanging partially off the flyover. All occupants exited safely before rescue personnel arrived.
Reported impact
In the Baghpat incident, the coal trailer was immobilized for several hours, blocking the village road and damaging residential property.
Index analysis
Google Maps reportedly provided routes that did not account for road construction, vehicle size restrictions, or road completion status. The Maharajganj incident shows a diversion was marked on the map but drivers still navigated to the incomplete section.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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