Wydot tries to stop Google Maps from stranding drivers in Frozen Nowhere, Wyoming

Google Maps has a bad habit of sending travelers trying to cross the Cowboy State in the winter down frozen garden trails instead.

The situation led to 28 search and rescues in Sweetwater County alone, with errant drivers stranded in sub-freezing weather in areas where snowdrifts may be 16 to 22 feet high. are doing.

To make matters worse, these locations are typically not within range of active cell towers or within safe walking distance of gas stations, making for an obvious tragedy. Masu.

“It was certainly interesting to see what route (the app) was taking,” Widett spokesperson Jordan Ax told the Cowboy State Daily. “We were seeing it ourselves. We just opened Google Maps and typed in 'Cheyenne to Salt Lake,' and we knew we needed to act.” ”

WYDOT provides expanded third-party access to its condition data exchange system through its engineering and environmental consulting partner, Laramie-based Trihydro. This will give Google and other mapping companies and apps better information about alternate route conditions during interstate closures. .

“We're also working with different counties across the state and asking them to include closed roads, seasonal closed roads, and unmaintained winter roads in their data. So Google identifies these roads as potentially We will stop using it as an alternative route,” Ax said.

Interstate 80's biggest culprit

Most of Wyoming's problems seem to stem from cases where Interstate 80 has to be shut down, generally in the Rawlins area.

“We have a lot of traffic crossing Interstate 80 in Wyoming,” Ax said. “And people will try to keep moving despite weather-related road closures and delays. And we're going to see a lot of traffic centered outside of Wyoming: people going coast-to-coast, people getting deliveries in commercial vehicles, Or tourists heading to Yellowstone.”

These drivers often have limited knowledge of the state and are more likely to be misled when an app recommends a questionable route.

But even those who have some knowledge of the state can sometimes be misguided. Ax himself has seen examples of driving apps suggesting routes that don't seem to be the most general route on the surface.

“One of the route changes I personally saw was to follow the Colorado Highway in northern Colorado,” Ax said. “It would have been over Walden, Craig and Steamboat.”

It is primarily a two-lane highway and is certainly shorter than the other alternatives motorists would have to travel if Interstate 80 was closed, Ax added.

“My point is, don't blindly trust GPS,” Ax says. “You know, make sure you know what's going to happen on that route. You know, use our 511 app to back up your route and know what to expect on your trip.”

Wyoming's 511 app updates in real time and includes information about road closures, high winds, significant ice and snow, and other situations where drivers need real-time data.

But Aksu added that there is clearly at least one warning sign that drivers are being misled. Large red flags should be posted on unpaved routes.

“In Wyoming, all state highways are paved,” she said. “So if it's paved, that's a good sign that it's a well-traveled road.”

Do not ignore road closure signs

Given this situation, some drivers decide it is best to ignore road closure signs.

But they couldn't be more wrong.

Wyoming only closes roads when they are impassable, and you don't want to end up like the California man who drove his Mini Cooper around a gate on Interstate 80 during a snowstorm a few years ago. There won't be anyone.

Or the Montana man who tried to escape a Wyoming Highway Patrol vehicle on a closed section of Interstate 80 and ended up in a 5-foot snowdrift.

Drivers who ignore a traffic stop can be subject to a fine of up to $750, 30 days in jail, or both. Add to that the fact that you find yourself stranded in sub-zero weather with an undetermined wait time for search and rescue to finally reach your rescue.

Wyoming has a program that allows limited movement through closed gates in certain cases. It's called the Wyoming Travel Authorization Program (W-TAP).

Wyoming travelers can apply for up to seven segments of authorized travel through closed gates to allow them to travel to and from specific destinations, such as between work and home.

Permits are only issued when certain sections of closed roads are safe to pass. And they are still at the discretion of Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers, who are stationed at specific gates.

Rene Jean can be reached at [email protected].

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/04/14/wydot-wants-to-stop-google-leaving-motorists-stranded-in-nowhere-wyoming/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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