Making Google Maps stop routing down boreens??

Mango Joe

Hi All,

Using Google Maps as my main Sat Nav for a while now and its pretty much perfect for my needs except for 2 details:

1. Is there a way to make it stop routing you down boreens, over mountains via roads only marginally wider than your car where the locals are shocked to even see a car??

2. I've noticed recently that the traffic congestion assessment it makes could do with a more regular update - A few time recently I've driven on stretches of roads all marked in red as though traffic was stopped - May have been some time previously but was well clear by the time I had arrived.

I suppose I should ask if I should be using Google Maps at all - Is there anything out there that puts it to shame?

Thanks!

_Kaiser_

This annoys me greatly with Google Maps. You can have it avoid motorways, but not crap narrow side roads - I'd gladly take a few minutes extra to avoid destroying my car on what are often little better than dirt tracks

Haven't found a way around it but would gladly try something that had this option or better in general. Can't say I've had the congestion reporting issues you've experienced though - I find it pretty accurate.

drunkmonkey

It's not that bad Apple took me across a field in Italy, opened the gate and drove across the field and out through the gate at the other side.

Don't find android that bad took me cross country yesterday but was way shorter than the main route I took to get there.

jeffk

Waze has options on "dirt roads" maybe try that and see

I agree about all Sat Nav apps, coming back from Tallaght and M50 mental(nothing new I suppose), big red line, oh yeah delays, should then say do you want alternative route

Alanstrainor

Mango Joe wrote: »

Hi All,

Using Google Maps as my main Sat Nav for a while now and its pretty much perfect for my needs except for 2 details:

1. Is there a way to make it stop routing you down boreens, over mountains via roads only marginally wider than your car where the locals are shocked to even see a car??

2. I've noticed recently that the traffic congestion assessment it makes could do with a more regular update - A few time recently I've driven on stretches of roads all marked in red as though traffic was stopped - May have been some time previously but was well clear by the time I had arrived.

I suppose I should ask if I should be using Google Maps at all - Is there anything out there that puts it to shame?

Thanks!

The problem here is that these 'roads' are just marked as regional roads on most maps, which can be anything from wide well surfaced roads, to tiny single lane boreens. My issue with google maps is it randomly changing the route mid journey without notification... now that is infuriating.

micawber

HereWeGo from Nokia, with downloadable maps, alternative routes and live traffic data worth a try https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app.maps&hl=en_IE

Charles Babbage

Alanstrainor wrote: »

The problem here is that these 'roads' are just marked as regional roads on most maps, which can be anything from wide well surfaced roads, to tiny single lane boreens. My issue with google maps is it randomly changing the route mid journey without notification... now that is infuriating.

A regional road is almost certainly two lanes, a one lane road is a local road and even the any one numbered below 5000 is usually not bad.

Bluefoam

micawber wrote: »

HereWeGo from Nokia, with downloadable maps, alternative routes and live traffic data worth a try https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app.maps&hl=en_IE

Not from Nokia. It's owned by the German Car Manufacturing Kartel.

biebiebie

Afaik it used to be Nokia Maps.
Not any more, but it does have a past involvement.

The high horse brigade

jeffk wrote: »

Waze has options on "dirt roads" maybe try that and see

Waze is owned by Google, they stole most of its features and use it as a test bed for features for Google maps. Google maps also uses the same crowd sourced live traffic data

Bluefoam

Yes Waze is owned by Google and they are entitled to use its technology. Waze is crowd sourced, and has a wider scope, users are encouraged to interact and contribute. Features get tested on Waze before they make it to G Maps, and it also benefits from real time data received from Maps users.

I have used both. Waze really comes into its own when used on Android Auto. Waze it a bit friendlier and nicer to use.

I also have Here maps as a backup and tend to download a full country map for any country I visit... To be sure to be sure...

corks finest

micawber wrote: »

HereWeGo from Nokia, with downloadable maps, alternative routes and live traffic data worth a try https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app.maps&hl=en_IE

Had that for yonks,good but bloody adds were annoying

biebiebie

Hmm I don't remember seeing ads in Here We Go maps?
Perhaps they're not very intrusive and I've a good tolerance and have learned to ignore them!

Anyhow I use Here maps over Google maps when abroad.
I find Google maps can be slow with voice commands and often told to turn a few seconds after driving past it. Not ideal when you're also driving on the opposite side of an EU road

OldMrBrennan83

The high horse brigade wrote: »

Waze is owned by Google, they stole most of its features and use it as a test bed for features for Google maps. Google maps also uses the same crowd sourced live traffic data

Err, I'm not sure you're getting how it works.

OldMrBrennan83

biebiebie wrote: »

Hmm I don't remember seeing ads in Here We Go maps?
Perhaps they're not very intrusive and I've a good tolerance and have learned to ignore them!

Anyhow I use Here maps over Google maps when abroad.
I find Google maps can be slow with voice commands and often told to turn a few seconds after driving past it. Not ideal when you're also driving on the opposite side of an EU road

I'm going to give it a go soon myself as I'm after running Waze and Google Maps side by side for a few weeks for a real comparison. Want to do the same with GM and Here.

That said, I've never found that issue you have with Google Maps. Had it a lot in Waze.

The high horse brigade

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

Err, I'm not sure you're getting how it works.

I know exactly how it works, Google didn't develop Waze, they only bought it to use it's features and now use it to test new features. Thats how these things go. Being Google they could lose interest tomorrow and kill it

OldMrBrennan83

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I know exactly how it works, Google didn't develop Waze, they only bought it to use it's features and now use it to test new features. Thats how these things go. Being Google they could lose interest tomorrow and kill it

Yeah but bought isn't stolen. You don't steal from yourself.

If Waze was a better app it would have a better chance anyway. Presumably they left the original people working on it.

corks finest

biebiebie wrote: »

Hmm I don't remember seeing ads in Here We Go maps?
Perhaps they're not very intrusive and I've a good tolerance and have learned to ignore them!

Anyhow I use Here maps over Google maps when abroad.
I find Google maps can be slow with voice commands and often told to turn a few seconds after driving past it. Not ideal when you're also driving on the opposite side of an EU road

Agree ref Google maps being slow,I had the other app until 2015 but it changed big time, Bluetooth voice stopped working etc,( Nokia 925 at the time)changed phones back to Google

micawber

biebiebie wrote: »

Hmm I don't remember seeing ads in Here We Go maps?
Perhaps they're not very intrusive and I've a good tolerance and have learned to ignore them!

Anyhow I use Here maps over Google maps when abroad.
I find Google maps can be slow with voice commands and often told to turn a few seconds after driving past it. Not ideal when you're also driving on the opposite side of an EU road

No ads with herewego

corks finest

micawber wrote: »

biebiebie wrote: »

Hmm I don't remember seeing ads in Here We Go maps?
Perhaps they're not very intrusive and I've a good tolerance and have learned to ignore them!

Anyhow I use Here maps over Google maps when abroad.
I find Google maps can be slow with voice commands and often told to turn a few seconds after driving past it. Not ideal when you're also driving on the opposite side of an EU road

No ads with herewego

Click on link provided by op- clearly states contains adds,,

biebiebie

corks finest wrote: »

Click on link provided by op- clearly states contains adds,,

That's in the app description in the play store.
But in reality?
Perhaps they appear when you use the maps in online mode.
However I tend to use the maps in offline mode.
Perhaps that means ads cannot be displayed?

Mr E

I wouldn't mind an option to avoid steep hills! A few times in Cork, Google tried to take me up stupidly steep inclines which my car didn't have the power to get up....

A few years ago I had a full boot and 4 passengers. Half way up a hill on the Northside, I had to give up and roll backwards down a hill so I could turn around.

Bluefoam

Mr E wrote: »

I wouldn't mind an option to avoid steep hills! A few times in Cork, Google tried to take me up stupidly steep inclines which my car didn't have the power to get up....

A few years ago I had a full boot and 4 passengers. Half way up a hill on the Northside, I had to give up and roll backwards down a hill so I could turn around.

Sounds like you could do with a different car rather than a different nagivation software.

Mr E

Yeah, no shit.

biebiebie

For those who have suggestions on to how maps can be improved, then why not send them in to Google maps to be considered?

Open Maps
Click on the hamburger option menu on the top LHS
Scroll to the end
Click on "Send feedback"

You never know your suggestion might actually end up as a useful feature!

Although Google mightn't know what a boreen is, you might need to use a more widely understood description!

micawber

biebiebie wrote: »

That's in the app description in the play store.
But in reality?
Perhaps they appear when you use the maps in online mode.
However I tend to use the maps in offline mode.
Perhaps that means ads cannot be displayed?

I use it both online and off line, here and also UK and France.
Never seen an ad.
Also maps frequently updated - every three or four months

jester77

drunkmonkey wrote: »

It's not that bad Apple took me across a field in Italy, opened the gate and drove across the field and out through the gate at the other side.

Don't find android that bad took me cross country yesterday but was way shorter than the main route I took to get there.

Google maps wanted to take me across a field in Portugal, there was no way my crappy little rental was going to achieve that, the field wasn't even level.