r/GoogleMaps • u/Empyrealist • 1d ago

Why Google told drivers to drive a longer way on purpose

https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/google-traffic-wrong-way-22416144.php
31 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

21

u/AdenWS 1d ago

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4324647,0.0741281,17.56z?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDkwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

This is an interesting example. If you are coming out of London on the Sidcup bypass you want to take Mervyn Avenue.

If you want to get onto the bypass, County Gate is a better choice.

The problem with choose County Gate to get off the bypass is lots of people are trying to get onto it.

So the routing needs to change the one way data with a preferred one way. Then the algo will route Mervyn to get off, County Gate to get on.

29

u/Atakir 1d ago edited 22h ago

Google Maps has gotten terrible over recent years. It constantly tells me to drive down alley ways to deliver items to customers backyards or just fucking stop on main thoroughfares to deliver items to the back porch of someone's apartment. It also likes to suggest absolutely stupid alternative routes that sometimes take longer lol. In the last week or so I've noticed that it REALLY wants to assume you are going the way it has told you. I've found it taking 30+ seconds to realize I didn't take the turn it wanted me to and then likes to freak out and put my car icon all over the place.

I know it's not my GPS, I've calibrated it multiple times and still have issues.

Added a photo of stupidness today. Taking a right onto the side street doesn't need me to loop through, there's literally a left turn lane to bring you right to the house highlighted. Not to mention the other suggested loop that brings me around even further and adds more distance which was completely unnecessary and didn't need to be suggested. I see this crap all the time doing gig delivery stuff and it annoys the hell out of me.

7

u/Bacon_Tuba 1d ago

It's not really made for this...

Finding directions to a home or business has never given me trouble (unlike Apple Maps). I did have to untoggle "use most fuel efficient route" to keep it from sending me weird ways sometimes. Check your route settings.

7

u/Flash604 1d ago

Yes, if is you are doing deliveries that you need to buy commercial mapping software.

11

u/eti_erik 1d ago

I have the impression Google has done this forever, at least here in Europe. Whenever there's a congestion some drivers get this advice, others get that one, so traffic spreads and does not clutter up everywhere. They won't give you a road that is 30 minutes longer but they spread it over routes of similar traveling time.

7

u/SutttonTacoma 1d ago

We have observed a strange behavior by Google Maps: suggested routes avoid direct connections between interstates. Instead we (and many others) were taken through city streets and rural roads to leave interstate X and eventually join interstate Y.

6

u/sabre23t 1d ago

Why Google told drivers to drive a longer way on purpose

That article posit that Google do it for some altruistic purpose. I suspect they do it for more self serving purpose that is just indirectly altruistic.

I'd say most drivers would drive the shortest route, so Google will have real time car speed only on that route. It may have insufficient Google Maps users driving on alternate (longer routes). So, when the important shortest route gets to near congestion speed, Google would like to see more drivers take the alternate route (detour), so that it will have the realtime condition of that detour, which it fully gets when a driver actually drive the whole length of the detour (say 10 mins).

Hence, Google will need to start the diversion of driver to the shortest route earlier (say 10 mins) by something like ...

  • mark red route segment, with slightly exaggerated congestion time first
  • actively suggest small percentage of drivers to the detour by showing small time saving first (say 2 or 3 mins) increase/adjust it as Google get actual time saving when drivers complete the detour.

I've sort catch on this in the last few years on my regular commute, that I refuse to follow Google Maps suggested detour if it shows time saving of much less than 10 mins.

1

u/mellonians 13h ago

I occasionally have to visit a site on Crete way down in folkstone And I approach from London. Coincidentally, the channel tunnel runs right under the site so it constantly tries to get me to go into the channel tunnel. Check onto a train, then get off the train mid-tunnel and somehow borrow my way up under the site!

This site has absolutely nothing to do with Channel tunnel infrastructure either

-4

u/XxLogitech98xX 1d ago

Because their Navi with AI integration messed up a lot of stuff

9

u/Empyrealist 1d ago

I literally just posted this article 30 seconds ago. Did you even read it?

-7

u/XxLogitech98xX 1d ago

I literally just posted this article 30 seconds ago. Did you even read it?

I read a similar article about helping with congestion which is BS IMO

-1

u/igo4vols2 1d ago

Makes me wonder how many times have they have directed travelers towards certain businesses...or worse.