Family sues google, and others, over gps sending man over collapsed bridge.

[Goonie]

Family sues Google after Maps allegedly directed father off collapsed US bridge

Tech company faces negligence lawsuit after Philip Paxson died from driving off a North Carolina bridge destroyed years ago

www.theguardian.com

I see stories like this, and can't help but think of self driving cars making things even worse.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Family sues Google after Maps allegedly directed father off collapsed US bridge

Tech company faces negligence lawsuit after Philip Paxson died from driving off a North Carolina bridge destroyed years ago

www.theguardian.com

I see stories like this, and can't help but think of self driving cars making things even worse.

I live at the end of a cul-de-sac adjoining another subdivision. Originally, the road was to continue into the other neighborhood but only a bike path was installed. But GPS shows this as a correct route. Even though there is a post and a wood obstruction, we've had people drive through our lawn to get around it.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

Family sues Google after Maps allegedly directed father off collapsed US bridge

Tech company faces negligence lawsuit after Philip Paxson died from driving off a North Carolina bridge destroyed years ago

www.theguardian.com

I see stories like this, and can't help but think of self driving cars making things even worse.

It certainly has implications. I wonder what Google maps shows? Specifically streetview.

This part seems really bad for Google:

Lawyers for the Paxsons allege that several people have tried to flag the washed-out bridge to Google and have included email correspondence between a Hickory resident who tried to use the “suggest an edit” feature in 2020 to get the company to address the issue. Google never responded to the suggestion, allege attorneys.​

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

I live at the end of a cul-de-sac adjoining another subdivision. Originally, the road was to continue into the other neighborhood but only a bike path was installed. But GPS shows this as a correct route. Even though there is a post and a wood obstruction, we've had people drive through our lawn to get around it.

There are a few places like that around where I live too. If google is found liable in this case I think they're in for a world of lawsuits for property damage and injury.

 

[GreatLakes4Ever]

I remember printed out directions from Mapquest or maybe maps.com that had a disclaimer at the bottom that told you to make sure there was no road construction at that the road was real. I’d have to imagine Google has a similar thing somewhere on their webpage.

 

[public hermit]

How is it that road is not barricaded? Yes, maps should be accurate, but I would think roads that have a bridge out should be barricaded.

 

[Goonie]

How is it that road is not barricaded? Yes, maps should be accurate, but I would think roads that have a bridge out should be barricaded.

And out for 9 years.

 

[Servus]

And out for 9 years.

That makes no sense whatsoever. The city and or county should be sued too for not putting up a barricade.

 

[Landon Caeli]

How is it that road is not barricaded? Yes, maps should be accurate, but I would think roads that have a bridge out should be barricaded.

What a tragic story. Hopefully the family gets compensated heavily by both the government and Google.

 

[Landon Caeli]

I remember printed out directions from Mapquest or maybe maps.com that had a disclaimer at the bottom that told you to make sure there was no road construction at that the road was real. I’d have to imagine Google has a similar thing somewhere on their webpage.

Sometimes at night though, it's hard to see, and if there was no barricades, then the small print isn't very helpful to anyone.

 

[public hermit]

That makes no sense whatsoever. The city and or county should be sued too for not putting up a barricade.

I agree. In my county, which is one of the poorest in the state, the Board of Supervisors receives an in-person, monthly report from the Department of Transportation. We've had bridges out. Even in this county, which usually needs more than it has, there is no way something like this would linger for years without barricade and signage, at the very least. That's astounding to me.

 

[Servus]

Sometimes at night though, it's hard to see, and if there was no barricades, then the small print isn't very helpful to anyone.

When I read that it was dark and raining I could easily see the same thing happening to me.

 

[Aaron112]

Family sues Google after Maps allegedly directed father off collapsed US bridge

Tech company faces negligence lawsuit after Philip Paxson died from driving off a North Carolina bridge destroyed years ago

www.theguardian.com

I see stories like this, and can't help but think of self driving cars making things even worse.

Even without seeing those stories, I knew self-driving cars were already , even before they came on the market, were making things worse. The billions of dollars , the increase in toxic chemicals, the pushing out of already working transportation that was better.... the brainwashing... oy, so many terrible things in the news and in the marketplace today, maybe most of our lives because of corporate greed (and government bribes).

 

[Aaron112]

When I read that it was dark and raining I could easily see the same thing happening to me.

I have heard of millions of people driving in the dark while it is raining who
don't ..... all their lives .... even the 'elderly'.... who don't get in trouble ....

 

[Aaron112]

I remember printed out directions from Mapquest or maybe maps.com that had a disclaimer at the bottom that told you to make sure there was no road construction at that the road was real. I’d have to imagine Google has a similar thing somewhere on their webpage.

I was driving using a not-google device to find shorter driving time within a city, and it directed me to a side road that I went down, and to a road with a bridge that was out - totally washed out bridge that had obviously been gone for years (it seemed).
Instead of following the gps, I took another route instead of that one.
It was not a very bright time of day , and no street light - the area was shaded a lot by many trees...

 

[durangodawood]

Private property owners are also named in the suit along with google. Govt is not mentioned.

Sounds like he was in a private subdivision where this happened.

"Hi. We're from the private sector. And we're here to help".

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Family sues Google after Maps allegedly directed father off collapsed US bridge

Tech company faces negligence lawsuit after Philip Paxson died from driving off a North Carolina bridge destroyed years ago

www.theguardian.com

I see stories like this, and can't help but think of self driving cars making things even worse.

Hard to say for certain, but given the contribution of darkness and poor weather to the accident, a self-driving car would likely have performed better in this scenario due to its sensors being less affected by the conditions than the human eyeball. That's not to say that they're perfect (they're definitely not), but the default behavior of "stop when I can't figure out the correct thing to do based on the data coming in" would likely have kicked in here.

 

[Aaron112]

That's not to say that they're perfect (they're definitely not), but the default behavior of "stop when I can't figure out the correct thing to do based on the data coming in" would likely have kicked in here.

And if that happens as programmed,
and the car or big truck behind them then runs into the self-driving car ?

i.e. it is not just the one situation of the op that the self-driving car might not do better in,
but
other situations that have indeed caused problems
including causing a small grid-lock because of just stopping in the middle of a turn or intersection (several times according to the reports)

 

[RocksInMyHead]

And if that happens as programmed,
and the car or big truck behind them then runs into the self-driving car ?

i.e. it is not just the one situation of the op that the self-driving car might not do better in,
but
other situations that have indeed caused problems
including causing a small grid-lock because of just stopping in the middle of a turn or intersection (several times according to the reports)

I'm well aware of the many issues with self-driving vehicles. I was just pointing out that the implication that they would blindly follow routing off of cliffs (or collapsed bridges) was misleading.

 

[Aaron112]

.... I was just pointing out that the implication that they would blindly follow routing off of cliffs (or collapsed bridges) was misleading.

What if the brand name was "Lemming" ?
(the critters that do blindly rush off a cliff into the ocean every year or whenever, in the millions) ...