Report: Australian law enforcement issues warning about Google Maps

Police officers in Colac, Australia are warning that relying on Google Maps may be endangering motorists

Jon Gold (Network World)
13 December, 2012 18:01
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Police officers in Colac, Australia are warning that relying on Google Maps may be endangering motorists in their jurisdiction, according to a report from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

PREVIOUSLY: Australian police called Apple Maps' inaccuracies a 'potentially life-threatening issue'

In Colac, which is west of Melbourne, near the country's southern coast, police told the ABC that the mapping system is directing traffic to a one-way track called Wild Dog Road, which isn't designed for regular use.

"My issue is it's a significant safety issue for tourists [and] locals, who are getting the wrong information from their GPSs," Sgt. Nick Buenen told the ABC. "My concern is that one day we're going to be at the coroner's court [being asked] 'well what did you do about it.'"

The latest warning comes just days after Apple's much-maligned Maps application was blamed for helping to strand several users through erroneous route guidance. Apple Maps had apparently located the city of Mildura more than 43 miles away from its actual position, in a remote area of a national park. Australian authorities called this a "potentially life-threatening issue."

That error was apparently partially rectified by Apple, as a report from the Australian newspaper says that some users are still seeing Mildura placed in the wrong location.

In an apparent admission that Apple Maps was not ready for prime time, Apple approved a new version of Google Maps for use with iOS 6 Wednesday. The company had previously apologized for its own buggy mapping app and it's believed that the controversy was the driving force behind the departure of noted executive Scott Forstall.

Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.

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