事故死したのはグーグルマップのせい？

　とある場所で、大雨で橋が崩れて通行不能状態だった。そこによその土地からやってきた若いのんが突っ込んでって、川に落ちて三名死亡。どうもグーグルマップの情報を丸っと信じてダイブしたらしいが…？

BBC A fatal car crash in India sparks concerns over Google Maps　10 hours ago

Cherylann Mollan & Syed Moziz Imam

　…地元の人はわかってたので避けてたが、どうも通行止めの標識もなにもなかったらしく。それならさすがに、行政側の過失を認めざるを得ないかなあ…という感。

「Can a navigation app be held responsible if a user gets into an accident?

That is the question being asked in India after three men died when their car veered off an unfinished bridge and fell on to a riverbed in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Police are still investigating the incident, which took place on Sunday, but they believe that Google Maps led the group to take that route.」

「A part of the bridge had reportedly collapsed earlier this year because of floods and while locals knew this and avoided the bridge, the three men were not aware of this and were from outside the area. There were no barricades or sign boards indicating that the bridge was unfinished.

Authorities have named four engineers from the state's road department and an unnamed official from Google Maps in a police complaint on charges of culpable homicide.」

　こうした事件事故は過去にもあり、マップを信じてダム湖にダイブした例とか、川にダイブしたのとか、まあ…さすがに人間の数が多いところで、そういう例も…とは思われるが。

「In 2021, a man from Maharashtra state drowned after he drove his car into a dam, allegedly while following directions on the app.

Last year, two young doctors in Kerala state died after they drove their car into a river. Police said that they had been following a route shown by the app and cautioned people against relying on it too much when roads were flooded.」

　しかし別に問題もある。インドは、そうまで交通標識・事故・補修の連絡が行き届かないようで、日本人基準で考えちゃダメっぽい。…「なら最初からそこまで妄信して車を猛進させんなよ？！」とも思われるが。ともあれ情報過少では―自動運転なんか、無理っぽいな？！とも思われる。

　日本では自販機の「100円！」なんて広告を「ウム、ここは時速100km規制なのだな」と読み取ったり天下一品ラーメンの看板を停止マークに見たりとか、笑い話に紛れるようなお話にとどまっている感があるが、それらでさえ自動運転の実現性を危うくさせる何ものかでもあるわけだ。ちょっと注意してメモ。