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NYC Asks Google Maps For Fewer Left Turns
An anonymous reader writes: Members of the New York City Council have sent a letter to Google asking that its Maps navigation system provide users an option to "reduce left turns." Pedestrian safety is the issue they're trying to improve. In the U.S., a quarter of all accidents involving pedestrians happen while a vehicle is making a left turn. "The first cause of death for New York City children under 13 is not gangs, it's not poverty, not violence. It's being hit by cars and trucks. This is the time for the city to reach out to the private sector, so they can help us to provide information to drivers about where you should avoid making left turns." The council members are also asking for an option that would let truckers stay on known truck routes, hoping that would prevent the problems that arise when big-rigs wander onto streets not large enough to safely accommodate them.
Sometimes a left turn is necessary. Having Google maps put a higher cost in the algorithm for left turns, the system can then determine better if a left turn should be made or three rights. It isn't about eliminating them entirely (as it isn't practical to do so), it is about reducing.
They personalize search results. Why not directions?
They're too busy figuring out the next way to shit up the maps interface with more idiotic changes.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
In Germany to go left, you take the *Third Right*
UPS has the advantage that they don't want to go to a specific target, but drive past multiple targets. It's quite likely that they don't substitude 3 right turns for each left turn they eliminate, but significantly less on average.
Of course, that's not the fundamental issue... which is:
The turning driver has a green light right when pedestrians have the walk light
When your city can reasonably be ranked as the top pedestrian city in the world, it might behoove you to plan accordingly by not putting your pedestrians directly into oncoming traffic.
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
Do you walk much in big cities and use crosswalks?
Because in all honesty, I see a tremendous amount of drivers who don't even look for pedestrians and just race through the intersection. I've been crossing on a light and had some asshole turn right on red practically run me over, and I know damned well people actually do get run over.
And some of these drivers are then yelling at the pedestrian for being in the way, because they're too stupid to realize just who is in whose way.
Maybe the problem isn't about teaching children common sense, but in realizing that many drivers are practically homicidal in the way they drive a car.
Because, I'm sorry ... but if I'm crossing a cross-walk on a walk signal, and you're turning right on red through the crosswalk, it's not ME who is at fault.
You can look all you want, but when drivers don't seem to be aware of (or care about) pedestrians, that's the real damned problem.
A tremendous amount of people turn into assholes and morons when they get behind the wheel.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.