Can Google Maps be blamed for fatal accident in Uttar Pradesh?

Navigation apps like Google Maps have made our lives easier for many people. However, a recent deadly incident in India has left many doubting the reliability of navigation apps. Can they actually be held responsible for things like car accidents?

This is one of the most common questions asked on digital platforms in India after three people died when their vehicle crashed into an unfinished bridge. The car plunged into the river in Utter Pradesh, stunning both the local and international communities.

Now the question arises: Who is responsible for the crime? The local authorities? The driver? Or can we blame Google Maps for what happened?

The investigation is currently ongoing, but many believe that Google Maps played a role in leading them down this path. A portion of this bridge even collapsed earlier this year due to flooding in the area and locals were well aware of this and avoided the route at all costs.

But it just so happens that the three victims involved were not from the region and therefore had no idea what they were getting into. What’s even more shocking is that no barriers were put in place and there were no warning signs about unfinished construction.

Law enforcement authorities have named four people from the region’s road traffic authority and another unnamed person from Google Maps who they believe face murder charges.

The tragedy highlighted the country’s poor infrastructure and sparked a massive debate about tools like Google Maps that should take responsibility in the matter. The world is blaming Google for not providing the right data, but a large portion of respondents still believe that the local government authority needs to block that particular website.

Today, Google Maps is one of the most popular navigation tools in the country and is synonymous with GPS, which happens to be a leading satellite-based route navigation system.

This is also the basis for its long list of services, including ride-sharing, food delivery and e-commerce. This app has almost 60 million active users. If that isn’t shocking enough, there are almost 50 million searches every day.

This isn’t the first time the platform has come under scrutiny for things like taking the wrong direction and leading to deadly incidents like this one.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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