Road To Nowhere: Blumenthal calls for big tech companies to update GPS apps

From WNPR.

According to Blumenthal’s office, one bridge on the Merritt Parkway has been hit nearly 150 times during the past decade. Truck drivers have told state police that “GPS is the No. 1 reason why they were diverted onto the road.”

When truck drivers use smartphone-based navigation apps, they’re at risk of hitting bridges or getting stuck under underpasses, which can create severe traffic delays for miles, much like the ones they sought to avoid on I-95, 91 or other heavily traveled highways.

The Motor Transportation Association of Connecticut represents several small-business trucking companies across the state. President Joe Sculley said the majority of their members use navigation systems by various companies that are either built into the truck or incorporated as an aftermarket device.

“Because they’re based here, they know the roads that they drive on,” Sculley said. “I think that a lot of the systems that we see where trucks wind up on the Merritt are from out-of-state truck drivers who are not using these commercial, truck-specific systems.”

But regardless of where the driver is from when a truck hits a bridge or overpass, an accident can create delays, damaged roadways, and overpasses or result in fatalities.

“I think he’s onto a good idea to work with these companies to build something into their systems,” Sculley said of Blumenthal’s proposal. “With all the capabilities that these companies have, I think it’s probably very easy to do and I think it may come down to being one of the most common-sense solutions towards addressing this problem.”

See the complete article from WNPR online.