Fatal car crash in India sparks questions about Google Maps liability: Can navigation apps be held liable?
 

A tragic accident in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India has reignited a debate on whether navigation apps such as Google Maps can be held responsible for fatal crashes. Three men died on Sunday when their car veered off an unfinished bridge and fell into a riverbed. The group, unaware of the area, used Google Maps for directions that allegedly led them onto the risky route.

The bridge, which had partially collapsed due to floods a few months ago, was not showing any sign or barricade to warn people of its condition. The local people were aware of the bridge's condition and did not cross it, but the men from outside were unaware of the danger. A police investigation has now brought up questions about the liability of Google Maps and similar apps in such incidents, prompting a police complaint against the app and several state engineers.

Google Maps is a GPS navigation app in India widely used and frequently criticized for giving the wrong directions at times to deadly ends. In 2021, a man in Maharashtra drowned after following the app's guidance into a dam. Last year, two doctors in Kerala died after their car drove into a river while following Google Maps' directions.

Though Google Maps does take updates from governments and users regarding road closures and traffic jams, experts argue that the platform cannot always catch up with the fast pace of changes in infrastructure, especially in a huge and rapidly developing country like India. According to Ashish Nair, founder of mapping platform Potter Maps, apps like Google Maps are made to update based on satellite imagery, user data, and official notifications. It is challenging for platforms to catch up with every change in real-time.

Legal experts differ of opinion about whether Google Maps is liable for the road accidents. According to one section, since Google Maps acts as an "intermediary" under the Information Technology Act of India, it is not liable for the information that it produces. However, if it can be proved that the app failed to pay heed to proper, timely data regarding changes in the roads, it would be held liable on grounds of negligence.

The incident has not only highlighted the dangers of over-relying on navigation apps but also drawn attention to India's infrastructure challenges. Sufficient systems to log changes in road conditions are lacking and, therefore, apps such as Google Maps are generally unable to provide up-to-date, accurate information. Experts say the solution is better data collection and sharing systems by the government for preventing such accidents in the future.

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