04 December 2007

GPS rerouting trucks in England

More and more heavy trucks have taking the ridiculously inappropriate route through the British Village of Wedmore. Why? Because their GPS navigation units say it is the shortest routes. The NY Times reports on this increasingly common phenomenon and how difficult it is to change it:
Once, he saw an enormous tractor-trailer speeding by, unaware that in its wake it was dragging a passenger car, complete with distraught passenger.
This is yet one more little item to list in the lengthy compendium of GIS impacts on Society.

10 comments:

  1. I was living in a small village in the UK its ridiculous and is the cause of many potholes and road damage.

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  2. They can cause some huge amounts of damage.

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  3. Noise pollution is worse than the damage they cause.

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  4. I have to agree with Ben on that one.

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  5. Its down to the transport and freight companies.

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  6. They should just amend heavy transports gps to indicate teh fastest most unpopulated routes.

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