A technical error in Google Maps caused massive traffic jams across German roads. The app incorrectly displayed autobahn closures during Ascension Day holiday, forcing drivers to seek alternative routes.
G. Ostrov
Google Maps caused serious transportation problems in Germany when its navigation system incorrectly marked numerous autobahns as closed. The technical error occurred at the worst possible time - during the Ascension Day public holiday (May 29), when roads were particularly busy.
Scale of the Problem
False road closure notifications affected autobahns near major German cities, including Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Dortmund. Drivers opening the Google Maps app saw numerous red dots indicating inaccessible road sections, forcing them to look for detours.
Consequences of the Technical Failure
Mass traffic redirection to alternative routes led to traffic jams nationwide. Police and local authorities received numerous calls from confused drivers trying to understand the reason for the supposed road closures.
The situation was made particularly serious by the fact that the error occurred at the beginning of a four-day holiday weekend, when many Germans were setting off on vacation.
Google's Official Response
A Google spokesperson told German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost: "Information in Google Maps comes from a variety of sources. Data about locations, street names, boundaries, traffic, and road networks comes from third-party providers, public sources, and user input." The company confirmed it is conducting an internal investigation of the incident.
Duration of the Outage
The problem lasted several hours and was resolved by Thursday afternoon. Google Maps now again displays only real road closures. The causes of the technical failure remain unknown - it's unclear whether this was a software glitch or the result of external interference.
Not the First Case
This isn't the first technical problem with Google Maps. In March this year, users reported deletion of Timeline data, which tracks visited places. Google confirmed that some users indeed lost their data without possibility of recovery.
For current navigation information, it's recommended to monitor updates on the official Google Maps website.
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