Like Apple, Google Accused of Map Misguidance in Australia

It appears that Apple isn’t the only maps provider that’s leading Australian motorist astray.

According to police in Colac, a small city in the Western part of Victoria, Google maps are leading people down a dangerous path.

Police say that the road in question, Wild Dog road, is a one-way track that’s not suitable for the traffic it’s getting.

“My issue is it’s a significant safety issue for tourists [and] locals, who are getting the wrong information from their GPSs,” he said. My concern is that one day we’re going to be at the coroners court [being asked] well what did you do about it. We’re trying to do something about it, but if a 22-seater bus rolls off Wild Dog Road today, [there wouldn't be] the multi-agency response to this issue that I would like,” Sergeant Nick Buenen told ABC News.

Of course, this safety concern isn’t quite as serious as the one posed by Apple Maps. Earlier this week we told you that police in Mildura were warning motorists not to trust the new maps product, as it was leading them into a remote national park instead of their town. At least one person had to be rescued from the park, as much of it is without a water source and can see temperature well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Apple quickly corrected the mistake – partially.

What’s the moral of the story? Simply put, don’t blindly trust maps products. Most of the time you’ll be ok, but you should probably start to get suspicious if you wander into an area that seems a little off.