Why drivers in Scotland are crashing because of bad Apple Maps data

AppleInsider

Drivers in Scotland keep crashing because Apple Maps has not been updated properly. Here's how to make sure a map change gets done.

Car stuck after following GPS maps in Edinburgh (Source: "Kiddy" on Twitter/X

Apple Maps is no longer the mess it was when it launched 12 years ago, and it's not the mapping service being sued because its directions led to a fatality. But it's still a worldwide system and there are going to be places where Apple Maps hasn't been updated recently enough.

There is such a case right now in Edinburgh, where according to Fortune, the local council blocked off a road. Called Greenside Lane, the narrow and sloping road has been turned into a pedestrian-only area, and has had steps added to it.

No one told Apple or Google though, so for at least weeks, the two mapping firms continued to direct drivers down Greenside Lane.

It's happened again! Greenside Lane this afternoon. . . .#Edinburgh pic.twitter.com/ziht7lpqhi

-- Alan Wilson (@AlanWilson_SP)

January 18, 2024

Locals have been posting photos of cars and vans becoming stuck on the steps, while drivers have been expressing frustrated embarrassment.

"I was just following the sat-nav [GPS directions]," one told BBC Scotland. "I always remember I used to come down this way. I followed it and just got stuck."

"I had no idea there was a step there, I used to come down this way," the driver continued. "I am a bit embarrassed about it."

Apple Maps now shows Greenside Lane as closed but (inset) Look Around still shows the road open

The change to Greenside Lane was made in October 2023, following plans laid out in 2021. In the minutes of a council meeting on February 1, 2024, it is noted that Google had updated its maps after being written to.

In the same minutes, the council members were reported to have written to Apple as well, and were waiting for a response. It's not known whether Apple replied to the council but at time of writing, Greenside Lane has been updated on Apple Maps.

With Apple Maps, the detail that Greenside Lane is closed does not display until a route is planned around it, though. Apple's Look Around feature still shows the road as open.

How to report a road change to Apple Maps

You can request a correction or an update to Apple Maps via either a Mac or an iPhone. The Mac can be Apple Silicon Macs or Intel -- though if it's an Intel one it must have the Apple T2 Security Chip -- or any Mac with a Touch Bar. Then you:

1. Launch Maps on the Mac


2. Choose the Maps menu


3. Select Report an Issue...


4. In the pane that appears, click the New Document icon next to "Reports"


5. From the pop-down menu, typically the best option is to choose Report Place Issue

On the iPhone, the process is:

1. Launch Apple Maps


2. Navigate to a place


3. Tap on it to bring up more details


4. Swioe down to "Report Something Missing," or "Report an Issue"

Apple does not give an estimate of how long it will take for a change to be updated on the map. There won't be an update to the Look Around feature until the next time Apple Maps cars go around Edinburgh, though.

As well as correcting permanent road closures, or short term traffic delays, you can now also update business details. Assuming it's your own business, you can inform Apple Maps of any changes to do with, say, opening times.



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omasou

Such BS.

Over the years, I have stopped numerous times to ask for directions. If the person told me to make L instead of R, I never ended up in a lake or crashing into a building. The worst that ever happened is that I came to a dead end road staring out at a field. I didn't drive into the field! I called my friend received new directions and I was on my way.

Take responsibly for your stupid mistakes and lack of attention to what is going on around you.

jose8964

omasou said:

Such BS.

Over the years, I have stopped numerous times to ask for directions. If the person told me to make L instead of R, I never ended up in a lake or crashing into a building. The worst that ever happened is that I came to a dead end road staring out at a field. I didn't drive into the field! I called my friend received new directions and I was on my way.

Take responsibly for your stupid mistakes and lack of attention to what is going on around you.

Couldn’t agree more. These drivers should have paid more attention on the road

GeneT

jose8964 said:

omasou said:

Such BS.

Over the years, I have stopped numerous times to ask for directions. If the person told me to make L instead of R, I never ended up in a lake or crashing into a building. The worst that ever happened is that I came to a dead end road staring out at a field. I didn't drive into the field! I called my friend received new directions and I was on my way.

Take responsibly for your stupid mistakes and lack of attention to what is going on around you.

Couldn’t agree more. These drivers should have paid more attention on the road

Sure, but you can imagine, in the future, when self driving cars are more or less blindly following directions given out by mapping SW,there could be quite serious consequences.

mike1

GeneT said:

jose8964 said:

omasou said:

Such BS.

Over the years, I have stopped numerous times to ask for directions. If the person told me to make L instead of R, I never ended up in a lake or crashing into a building. The worst that ever happened is that I came to a dead end road staring out at a field. I didn't drive into the field! I called my friend received new directions and I was on my way.

Take responsibly for your stupid mistakes and lack of attention to what is going on around you.

Couldn’t agree more. These drivers should have paid more attention on the road

Sure, but you can imagine, in the future, when self driving cars are more or less blindly following directions given out by mapping SW,there could be quite serious consequences.

Not really, because the cars would stop before actually crashing.

kiltedgreen

Drivers crash cars. Not Apple Maps.

erio

Is it just me or there are no BIG SIGNS that it's PEDESTRIANS ONLY—NO CARS ALLOWED?

Also, if they can add steps, how about installing vehicle barrier poles as well? <rolleyes>

Lastly, good luck reporting to Apple Maps! Thanks to this article, it makes sense why my issue wasn't updated when I reported it on my iPhone. After reporting it on my iMac, they finally updated—however, it took MONTHS!

AppleZulu

Click-bait headline. The story says local authorities failed to submit road closure data, and that (at least) Apple and Google both are still creating routes based on that missing data. 

The headline intentionally misleads by creating the impression that the issue is a failure of Apple Maps. A headline that the City of Edinburgh failed to update GIS data, affecting multiple GPS mapping programs, would be more accurate, but lead to little interest here. Disappointing. 

InspiredCode

In that photo, it appears the stairs are hard to see. This looks to be on the city council for not putting up proper barriers or signs.

InspiredCode

mike1 said:

GeneT said:

jose8964 said:

omasou said:

Such BS.

Over the years, I have stopped numerous times to ask for directions. If the person told me to make L instead of R, I never ended up in a lake or crashing into a building. The worst that ever happened is that I came to a dead end road staring out at a field. I didn't drive into the field! I called my friend received new directions and I was on my way.

Take responsibly for your stupid mistakes and lack of attention to what is going on around you.

Couldn’t agree more. These drivers should have paid more attention on the road

Sure, but you can imagine, in the future, when self driving cars are more or less blindly following directions given out by mapping SW,there could be quite serious consequences.

Not really, because the cars would stop before actually crashing.

Right, Not really. There should be standards established for self driving approved roads that will take care of this. Most likely self driving would detect the stairway as an obstacle easier then a human could in this case. Sometimes self driving is worse than a human, but in this case it should be better.

iloveapplegear

2 or 3 years ago using apple maps.
it asked me to turn down a street.
This street was bus only, because I was paying attention I did not turn down that street.
I reported it and 2 days later it was changed on maps.

So pay attention folks, not everything is real.

AppleZulu

iloveapplegear said:

2 or 3 years ago using apple maps.
it asked me to turn down a street.
This street was bus only, because I was paying attention I did not turn down that street.
I reported it and 2 days later it was changed on maps.

So pay attention folks, not everything is real.

Yep. I recently noticed a local municipal facility was erroneously listed as "permanently closed." I reported the error to Apple after checking to confirm that the facility is indeed still open and operating. I received a follow-up question, responded and Apple corrected the error within a few days.

chadbag

Do the people drive with their nose in the maps app of their choice without watching the road?  The app may say take a left but hopefully you have your eyes open and see the issue that the street is closed or now pedestrian only.  

But when a city makes this I change they should also make sure lots of signs and maybe tasteful vehicle barrier (flower beds? Or those metal pole things)  is in place.  Lots of people drive from memory and if it used to work they may have that Implanted in memory.

  I used to kiss a blinking red light that was installed as previously there had been nothing there    They updated things and putting a blinking light in but it took me awhile to relearn it because of my past learned experiences.l at that location.  

davebarnes

chadbag said:

Do the people drive with their nose in the maps app of their choice without watching the road? 

Yes, they do.

mattinoz

GeneT said:

jose8964 said:

omasou said:

Such BS.

Over the years, I have stopped numerous times to ask for directions. If the person told me to make L instead of R, I never ended up in a lake or crashing into a building. The worst that ever happened is that I came to a dead end road staring out at a field. I didn't drive into the field! I called my friend received new directions and I was on my way.

Take responsibly for your stupid mistakes and lack of attention to what is going on around you.

Couldn’t agree more. These drivers should have paid more attention on the road

Sure, but you can imagine, in the future, when self driving cars are more or less blindly following directions given out by mapping SW,there could be quite serious consequences.

Or worse, the current bad combo of Uber's bad maps taking people to completely wrong places and human drivers who don't seem aware enough of their surroundings to deal with it. Add to that, apparently, a system in Uber (and other rideshares) that economically disadvantages the drivers for the system errors. 

Uber has had that strange quirk since it began of wanting to drop you off on the most major road if the property bounded 2 roads even if it wasn't the address, and the more major road had a sound wall with no access or place to stop that was by road distance not even well connected to the actual address.

Fun times

sflocal

I remember one video about someone that drove down a boat (un)loading ramp at some lake in broad daylight, and continued driving into the water until the vehicle started floating away while onlookers scratching their heads in bewilderment. The woman driver flat-out blamed whatever navigation app she was using.  At no point did she believe she was at fault.  

This is the problem with many people. They're too stupid, have zero intelligence to function in society and feel anything that goes wrong in their life is because of someone, or something else.  It's just easier to place blame elsewhere. 

eriamjh

Driving into things that aren’t roads is so early 2000s.

ktappe

This is the local council's fault. When you convert a road into pedestrian only, you put bollards in place to block vehicles. It is not rocket science.

baconstang

Scotch?  No officer.  That was my iPhone drinking.

GrannySmith99

InspiredCode said:

In that photo, it appears the stairs are hard to see. This looks to be on the city council for not putting up proper barriers or signs.

Also in the photo, you will see that the drivers had to mount a curb and drive across a pavement (side walk) to enter the road. Surely that is a big deterrent on its own and would raise some flags to any semi intelligent driver?

neilm

I tried to report an error in Apple Maps under Report an Issue using the instructions in this article, but clicking on the referenced new document icon does not bring up anywhere for me to enter the information. Just a pane that says No Reports. Yeah, because I can't enter a report!

???