Having already attracted widespread criticism, the inaccuracy of Apple Maps has now prompted police in Victoria, Australia, to issue a warning about using the iOS 6 app. The warning comes after a number of motorists seeking directions to the town of Mildura became stranded after they were directed into a National Park by the problem-plagued app.
Mildura is a regional town situated on the border of the states of Victoria and New South Wales on the banks of the Murray River. However, according to Apple Maps, the town is in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, some 70 km (44 miles) south of its actual location.
The discrepancy would be laughable if it wasn’t so potentially dangerous. With summer kicking off at the start of December, temperatures in the area can reach as high as 46° C (114.8° F). Couple this with the fact that the desolate area only has patchy mobile phone coverage and no water supply and there is real potential for motorists to find themselves in a life-threatening situation.
Victoria Police reports that in recent weeks, some motorists using Apple Maps have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and had to walk for long distances across dangerous terrain to get phone reception. This has prompted them to issue a warning against anyone traveling to Mildura or other locations in the state against relying on the app.
Victoria Police says it has alerted Apple to the problem and hopes the issue is rectified promptly. With the nearest Apple Store over 500 km (310 miles) away in Melbourne, it’s unlikely that Apple Store employees can be counted on to fix the problem.
Source: Victoria Police
