While GPS technology is a big help for people traveling or heading to a new part of town, sometimes its directions aren’t always accurate.
Whether it’s s traffic detour or an app that hasn’t been updated in months, sometimes GPS is just as lost as we are.
>> Blame your GPS for your bad sense of direction
Here are three times GPS technology failed users:
1) Drivers heading to Denver airport end up on dirt road
Nearly 100 motorists trying to head to the Denver International Airport in June ended up stuck when a Google Maps detour took them down a dirt road.
The drivers were trying to avoid a traffic jam caused by a wreck, but ended up stuck in mud or unable to cross deep ditches, according to CNN.
While no one was injured, one motorist told CNN that she had to use four-wheel drive to get out and ended up taking two people to the airport.
2) Google Map’s error results in wrong home being demolished
A Texas woman lost her house when Google Maps took a demolition crew to the wrong home.
Instead of sending the crew to Cousteau Drive, it sent the group a block away to Calypso Drive, CNNMoney reported.
Both addresses showed up as the location in Google Maps, a spokesperson told CNNMoney, but the issue has been fixed.
>> Vrydaghs: How to be prepared when severe weather strikes
The demolition crew reportedly confirm several facts with the correct homeowner before tearing down the building, including house number and that it was a corner lot that suffered tornado damage,
One thing the crew didn’t confirm? The street name.
3) City of Sunrise, Florida gets lost
One Florida city was wiped from Google Maps for roughly a month due to a technical error.
When users searched for Sunrise, they were instead directed hundreds of miles away to Sarasota, Florida, according to CNN.
The addresses and phone numbers for businesses and other public buildings reportedly didn’t show up.
>> Can apps like Waze steer you clear of disaster? Maybe not
It wasn’t the first time the city got “lost.” The incident was reportedly at least the third time Sunshine has gone missing from Florida.
To help Google Maps keep track of the city, the mayor sent Google’s CEO a map of the city, according to CNN.
On Monday, July 15, Chief Meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs is investigating how GPS systems have effected our sense of direction and situation awareness. To learn more, tune in at 5:30 p.m.