I might be more dependent on Google Maps than the average person. While I work from home most of the time, that’s actually part of the problem — I don’t know the roads that well, so I may need the app just to get to the grocery store, never mind a one-off appointment. On top of that, I’m a budding EUC rider, and I do sometimes drive enormous distances. Recently, my family and I drove over 2,000 miles to find a new home.
Normally I find Maps to be pretty dependable. But it does sometimes have blindspots, or make nonsensical recommendations for familiar terrain. How does that happen, given that Google has access to better mapping data than just about any private company?
Why Google Maps sometimes botches directions
Let’s chat about algorithms and priorities
The app’s top priority is direct routing. You can set parameters — such as battery/gas efficiency, or avoiding unpaved roads — but it’s still calculating the fastest possible route within those limits. And that carries over once you actually start driving, riding, or walking. If you deviate even slightly from the original route you selected, the app will recalculate, and may select radically different directions without warning you, based on traffic conditions. And I do mean slightly — it can happen if you pull out of the wrong side of the parking lot, or turn left instead of right at a key intersection.
At other times, it’s difficult for the app to calculate your GPS location. You’ve probably noticed that if you’re driving on a ramp or feeder road next to a highway, the app regularly gets confused as to which one you’re on. This is because civilian GPS systems have limited precision, gauged in meters instead of inches or centimeters. The app is taking an educated guess as to where you are, and can “snap” you to the wrong road or path by accident. It gets particularly confused if you have to drive under a bridge, through a tunnel, or between skyscrapers.
It’s also worth remembering that as thorough as Google’s data may be, it’s not 100% comprehensive. The end product is synthesized from official maps, satellite views, Street View recons, and user/business data, and only that user data is recorded in real-time. It can be months or years between fresh satellite or Street View passes, and if a town or business is slow to publish new data, there’s only so much Google can do. If construction has just started in a particular zone, Maps may well assume roads look the same way they did a month ago.
Even when data is complete, the app is never familiar with conditions on the same level as a human. It ignores the fact that some neighborhoods are full of potholes, for example, or that a left turn into a parking lot might require crossing a busy two-lane road with limited visibility. Things get even dicier if you’re riding a bike or PEV — there may be no way of knowing if a path is bumpy, prone to puddles, or temporarily restricted. In these sorts of circumstances, Google’s efficient routing may be anything but.
Is there anything you can do to fix Google Maps directions?
Be ready to think on your feet (or wheels)
Not quickly, to be honest. While navigating, you can try manually steering back to an intended route, assuming you remember enough of the details. That may force Maps to set things straight. Otherwise, your best bet is to park somewhere, re-enter directions, and choose the next best option. You can add stops to create waypoints, too — just know that if you don’t get close enough to them while navigating, Maps will reroute you back to them instead of your true destination.
If you keep running into inaccurate map data, be sure to report it to Google. Back on your computer, visit My Maps, then open or create a new map. Click Send feedback or Help to begin the reporting process.
