Google Maps causes 'chaos' in Germany by falsely reporting motorways closed

HAMBURG: It was the start of a four-day weekend for many families, and roads across Germany were already set to be clogged by people heading off on a May holiday break.

Then Google Maps decided to redirect drivers away from Germany's famously fast "autobahn" motorways due to dozens of unexpected closures on crucial roads.

In a day of what German media called "autobahn chaos", the Ascension Day public holiday on Thursday was marred by lengthy detours for many after it turned out Google Maps was falsely reporting motorway closures across the country.

The online navigation service displayed red dots on road sections around Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and other major German cities. However police in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Mainz and the highly populated state of North Rhine-Westphalia could not confirm the closures to dpa.

Parts of the Netherlands and Belgium also appeared to be affected by the error on Google Maps.

"They can't have closed ALL the motorways," tabloid Bild quoted one Facebook user as posting. "Especially because the traffic news isn't reporting anything."

Google told dpa the information was being reviewed and that it was removing closures that were incorrect. "We cannot comment on specific cases," a company spokesman said, noting that the information on Google Maps comes from a combination of third-party providers, public sources and user inputs.

"In general, these sources provide a strong basis for comprehensive and up-to-date map material," he said. Google Maps also allows users to report errors being displayed.

It's not the first time Google has invented a road closure in Germany, and at the beginning of May, the tech giant's service incorrectly displayed motorway tunnels in eastern Germany's Thuringia state as closed. Following a complaint from the police, the navigation instructions were corrected.

Germany's motorways are normally famed for their speed, having many stretches without a speed limit where drivers can go as fast as their Audis, BMWs or Porsches can carry them.

In the context of the climate crisis, lawmakers have long been debating efforts to stop drivers speeding on one of the world's few remaining motorways where you can legally - and considerably safely - reach speeds of over 300kph.