British Village Requests Removal from GPS Maps

longacre writes: "The tiny village of Barrow Gurney, England has asked GPS map publisher Tele Atlas to remove them from the company's maps. The reason: truck drivers using GPS navigation devices are being directed to drive through the town despite the roads being too narrow for sidewalks, and causing numerous accidents. At the root of the problem lies the fact that the navigation maps used by trucks are the same as those used by passenger cars, which don't contain data on road width or no truck zones. Tele Atlas says they will release truck-appropriate databases at some point, but until then they advise local governments to make use of a technology dating back to the Romans: road signs."

They already have truck-specific databases in US

[sethawoolley]

They have logistics data for the US, although, to be clear, they acquired it. In the meantime, put up a sign at fork to the village that says don't go here if you're a certain width unless you're making a local delivery. It's not that hard to solve this problem.

Seth

(I've worked with their US logistics data -- it's actually pretty impressive)

Re:They already have truck-specific databases in U

[couchslug]

Ticket enough trucks for being oversize and word will get round quickly. :)

Put up barriers

[TheLink]

At the entry roads to the village put up height barriers that will block vehicles above a certain height. Most trucks are taller than normal vehicles that would fit.

Or set up a chicane designed to block vehicles which won't make it through the village.

Then put up a big traffic sign with red circle and a red slash across it with a symbol of a truck inside the circle - "No trucks" :).

Re:

[Haeleth]

That's a surefire way to make sure all the entrances to the village are quickly barricaded by stuck lorries whose idiot drivers decided to trust the GPS rather than the evidence of their own eyes and drove smack into the barriers/chicanes.

Seriously, if people will follow their GPS into rivers, along cliff edges, and up unsurfaced farm tracks closed off by bolted gates, why the heck does anyone think a road sign will stop the madness? Just ban the damn things already. It's not like maps are that hard to re

Re:

[Bert64]

You'd think lorry drivers would be used to it by now...
My GPS has directed me (driving a car) down roads that my car wouldn't fit down, or i wouldn't feel comfortable driving it down... I usually just get it to recalculate the route and it does fine.

Re:

[TheLink]

It's better for them to be stuck outside the village than inside.

1) Easier to tow the trucks away from a _known_ ( and hopefully well designed) "getting stuck" point.
2) Not as much effect on the village while "cleaning up" the mess.
3) The damage is outside the village and to stuff designed to take the damage relatively safely (and possibly get the truck drivers or their companies to pay to fix, a cam or two and you can pretty much nab them).

A ban is an even sillier idea given you think the drivers won't pay