On Thursday, a Google Maps glitch accidentally made it appear that the most desirable routes on German autobahns and highways were shut down, The Guardian reported.
It remains unclear what exactly unleashed a flood of stop signs on Google Maps in the area just ahead of a four-day holiday break when many drivers had travel plans. Maps of roadways in Belgium and the Netherlands were also affected.
If drivers had stopped to check alternative apps, they would have learned that traffic was flowing normally and may have avoided clogging traffic on alternative routes or wasting time speculating about what could have happened to close so many major roads. Apple Maps and Waze accurately charted traffic patterns, and only Google Maps appeared to be affected.
Instead, Google Maps loyalists learned the hard way that Google doesn't know everything, as the misinformation reportedly caused traffic jams rather than helping drivers avoid them. Some drivers trusted Google so much that they filed reports with police to investigate the issue, with some worrying that a terrorist attack or government hack may have occurred.
On social media, others vented about what they assumed was correct information about supposed closures, The Guardian reported, with one person fuming, "They can’t have closed ALL the motorways!" Another joked that the Google Maps glitch made it look like the autobahn system was suffering "an acne outbreak."
Ars contacted Google to see if the glitch's cause has been uncovered. A spokesperson remained vague, only reiterating prior statements that Google "investigated a technical issue that temporarily showed inaccurate road closures on the map" and has "since removed them.”
Apparently, Google only learned of the glitch after users who braved the supposedly closed roads started reporting the errors, prompting Google to remove incorrect stop signs one by one. Engadget reported that the glitch only lasted a couple of hours.
Google's spokesperson told German media that the company wouldn't comment on the specific case but noted that Google Maps draws information from three key sources: individual users, public sources (like transportation authorities), and third-party providers.
It wasn't the first time that German drivers have encountered odd roadblocks using Google Maps. Earlier this month, Google Maps "incorrectly displayed motorway tunnels" as closed in another part of Germany, MSN reported. Now, drivers in the area are being advised to check multiple traffic news sources before making travel plans.
While Google has yet to confirm what actually happened, one regional publication noted that the German Automobile Club, Europe's largest automobile association, had warned that there may be heavy traffic due to the holiday. Google's glitch may have been tied to traffic forecasts rather than current traffic reports. Google also recently added artificial intelligence features to Google Maps, which could have hallucinated the false traffic jams.
This story was updated on May 30 to include comment from Google.
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