All four managed to escape unharmed due to the efforts of a nearby police patrolling unit and local residents.
(Representational/ iStock)
Using Google Maps to navigate resulted in a tourist group from Hyderabad driving into a stream swollen with water near Kuruppanthara in this south Kerala district, police said on Saturday, 25 May.
The incident occurred late Friday night, 24 May, when the four-member group, including a woman, were going towards Alappuzha.
The road they were travelling on was covered by water overflowing from the stream due to the heavy rains, and since the tourists were unfamiliar with the area, they drove right into the water body while navigating using Google Maps, they said.
All four managed to escape unharmed due to the efforts of a nearby police patrolling unit and local residents, but their vehicle was completely submerged under the water.
“Efforts are on to pull it out,” an officer of Kaduthuruthy police station said.
This is not the first such incident reported in Kerala.
In October last year, two young doctors died in a car accident which occurred after they allegedly followed directions on Google Maps and fell into a river.
However, the local police later said that visibility was very low because of heavy rain, and that the person driving the car took it forward ignoring a suggestion from Google Maps to take a left turn.
Yet, social media users were seen blaming the navigation app for the drowning of doctors Advaith and Ajmal, both 29.
The three others in the car, who had a providential escape from the ill-fated vehicle, said the driver had mistaken the river for a waterlogged road and drove ahead, and the navigation platform had nothing to do with the tragedy.
In August 2022, Parachal in the Kottayam district too witnessed a similar incident when a car, in which a family lost their way while following Google Maps, drove into a canal, with the currents sweeping it downstream.
The family was returning to Kumbanad from Ernakulam when the accident occurred at about 10.30 pm.
Thanks to the vigilance and quick rescue operations by local residents, they were able to save Dr V Soniya, her three-month-old daughter, mother Sosamma, and relative Anish from the car.
Following the incident in 2023, the Kerala police had issued cautionary guidelines for using the technology during the monsoon season.
In a Facebook post, the state police force warned people against travelling through unfamiliar routes during the monsoon season.
Listing the dos and don’ts while using Google Maps, the police said routes were often diverted during monsoons, but they might not appear on the map.
“Google Maps is very helpful for driving these days. However, taking unfamiliar routes by looking at the map, especially during monsoons, is sometimes dangerous,” the post said.
The state police said the app might show a route with less traffic, but such routes may not be safer. “Google Maps may lead to impassable roads with overflowing streams, landslides, fallen trees, narrow and dangerous roads where smooth movement is not possible,” the post read.
The police also urged people to save maps ahead for reference in case they lose their GPS signal en route while travelling.
“Don’t forget to select the proper mode of travel on the map. Choose between four-wheeler, two-wheeler, bicycle, walking, and train options. Please note that a four-wheeler cannot take a bike’s route,” the Facebook post said.
The police also asked the public to use the “contribute” option on the map about a traffic jam or a roadblock to help other users.
(With PTI inputs)
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