Google’s Lethal Beta Walking Directions

route4Google’s love of the beta tag for it’s software has been a thorn in some people’s sides, and has caused concern for businesses looking for rock solid, reliable solutions, but has the beta tag gone too far this time?

Google Walking Directions, a beta feature of Google Maps is being blamed for causing a traffic accident after providing questionable directions that prompted the woman to walk down a road without sidewalks.

The Walking Directions site contains a warning that the software is in beta, but since the woman accessed the site using a Blackberry the warning was not visible.

Armed with only a Blackberry and her common sense, Lauren Rosenberg chose to blindly follow the route suggested by Google, a rural four lane highway.

Granted, in a world where coffee cups must legally inform customers that coffee is indeed hot this seems like a Google screw up. What a sad, sad state of affairs.

Hopefully two lessons can be learned from this: Common sense is an attribute that should never, ever be assumed or taken for granted, and Google and other software makers shouldn’t abuse the beta tag!

Source: CNN Fortune Tech

4 COMMENTS

  1. Sorry, Toby, but you’re wrong. Google is very strongly labelled with warnings that location instructions are suggestions only and should be verified with an up-to-date map, first.

  2. Anyone know any other routes that are available, so I can make a huge claim as well?
    Only problem is I would have to leave my brain at home…

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