Three die after Google Maps leads car off unfinished bridge

Three men died in India’s Uttar Pradesh state after their car plunged from an unfinished bridge, prompting authorities to name a Google Maps official alongside four state engineers in charges of culpable homicide.

According to BBC Hindi, police believe Google Maps directed the victims, who were not local, to the bridge that had partially collapsed due to floods earlier in the year. The site lacked warning signs or barricades.

A Google spokesperson told BBC Hindi the company is cooperating with investigators. The incident has ignited debate over navigation apps’ liability in accidents whilst highlighting India’s infrastructure challenges.

Google Maps, with approximately 60 million active Indian users and 50 million daily searches, has faced previous scrutiny over accidents. In 2021, a Maharashtra man drowned after driving into a dam, and in 2022, two Kerala doctors died driving into a river, both allegedly following the app’s directions.

The platform updates its routes through user GPS signals, government notifications and user reports. Former Google Maps employee Ashish Nair explains that whilst high-priority updates are verified using satellite imagery and official notices, the platform’s terms of service require users to exercise their own judgment.

India lacks a centralised system for reporting infrastructure changes, unlike countries such as Singapore. Legal experts are split on liability, with some arguing Google Maps’ status as an intermediary under India’s IT Act provides protection unless negligence in updating information can be proven.