Google Maps Suggest Illegal Left Hand Turn

No Left-Hand Turn at Harlem and West 56th in Summit, Illinois

Google Maps Suggest Illegal Left Hand Turn or Crossing Busy Road

Dangerous Intersection of West 56 and Harlem

How often does Google Maps or Waze suggest directions that are illegal?  Illegal left hand turns are probably the biggest cause of accidents at intersections.  How could this hazard have been overlooked by Google's directions?  Are these companies liable if they suggest dangerous or illegal directions?  

We had this scary experience yesterday and thankfully we were paying attention and turned right instead of crossing a busy intersection and turning left.  This probably happens more often than is publicized.  

We want to know about your experience on BadIntersections.com.  Please share bad directions with us on our map to help navigation companies like Google Maps, Waze and Here improve their directions.  

Here is a forum of some content that we found from 2012. "Navigation suggests illegal turns." 

Los Angeles Threatens To Sue Waze

Los Angeles Dangerous Intersections Map

In the past, some cities have expressed frustration with Waze because it allows users to report shortcuts and alternative routes through residential streets, potentially diverting traffic away from main roads. This can lead to increased traffic in residential areas and concerns over public safety.

A Los Angeles councilman is asking the city to consider legal action against Waze over complaints that the navigation app is recklessly guiding motorists off thoroughfares and into residential neighborhoods in search of shorter or quicker routes.

Councilman David Ryu sent a letter Tuesday to the city attorney’s office, outlining what he says are dangerous conditions created by Waze users who are looking for “alternate routes to traditional arteries” in neighborhoods from Hancock Park and Los Feliz to the San Fernando Valley.

Ryu claims one narrow street in his Sherman Oaks district sometimes sees more than 650 vehicles an hour because of drivers using the Google-owned app. He says the increased traffic is causing accidents and damaging roads not meant for heavy traffic.

“If we do nothing, Waze will lead us on a race to the bottom – where traffic plans are ignored and every street is gridlocked,” said Ryu.

The councilman says he’s proposing the lawsuit because Waze has “repeatedly failed to fix significant safety concerns” he has raised.

An email seeking comment from Waze was not immediately returned.   Read article.

Ryu claims one narrow street in his Sherman Oaks district sometimes sees more than 675 vehicles an hour because of drivers using the Google-owned app. He says the increased traffic is causing accidents and damaging roads not meant for heavy traffic.  Read article. 

Humboldt Hockey Team Bus Crash at Deadly Intersection of Canada Highways 35 and 335

Humboldt Hockey Team killed at Deadly Intersection

Intersection of Highways 35 and 335 in Saskatchewan

Several Unregulated Intersections Providing a Recipe for Disaster on a Dark Highway

RCMP say 14 people are dead and 14 people were injured Friday after a truck collided with a bus carrying a junior hockey team to a playoff game in northeastern Saskatchewan. Police say there were 28 people including the driver on board the Humboldt Broncos bus when the crash occurred at around 5 p.m. on Highway 35 north of Tisdale. "We can now confirm fourteen people have died as a result of this collision," RCMP said in a release early Saturday. "The other fourteen people were sent to hospital with a variety of injuries; three of these people have injuries that are critical in nature."

Tesla Autopilot Gets Confused by Lanes Not Clearly Marked

Another Tesla Driver On Autopilot Nearly Crashes Trying To Recreate Fatal Crash

When the video is slowed down, you can see parts of the white lanes are faded and the car seems to think the left side of the lane — is the right. Fred Barez is a professor of mechanical engineering at San Jose State University. He said, “The lanes are not marked clearly on the road, so the camera attached to the Tesla vehicle is having a difficult time.” Barez is building his own autonomous vehicles with students. He says lanes that aren’t clearly visible can be a challenge for Tesla’s autopilot feature. Barez said, “Tesla believes in having eight cameras all around the vehicle and they monitor the presence of the lanes on the road.”

Site of Tesla Autopilot Fatality on 101

Tesla Autopilot Lane Confusion on 101

On its website, Tesla says it’s now also using a dozen updated ultrasonic sensors “allowing for detection of objects at nearly twice the distance of the prior system.” The company also advises its customers to keep their hands on the wheels, and to pay attention. Barez said, “I believe the Tesla is still pretty safe. It’s just a matter of the driver having to take responsibility as well.” The driver in the deadly crash, according to Tesla, did not take control of the wheel despite warnings. In his video Joshi grabs the wheel seconds before his Tesla would’ve slammed into the median: A couple years ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told reporters that California needed better lane markings, because it was confusing his cars’ autopilot feature. Tesla did not immediately respond to KPIX 5’s request for comment on Joshi’s video.

Map of Tesla Autopilot Fatality on 101 in Mountain View, CA

BadIntersections.com has started mapping autopilot accidents and locations where drivers feel that Uber and Tesla did not make a good driving decision.  We are calling these locations "Autopilot Issues" on the map.  Hopefully, autonomous vehicle companies will start using this historic data to help improve safety for future drivers at these locations.  Do a search for "autopilot" in the title and you will find the data.