We easily trust GPS apps with finding the best route, especially in unknown places, but when faced with the decision in trusting your GPS or a road sign, which would you choose?
An image of a sign on a remote Western Australian road has emerged on social media, which urges drivers to turn around — insisting their GPS is wrong.
Posting to a community Facebook page a local wrote: “You can find two of these signs in the Shire encouraging motorists to avoid part of the Old Beverley Rd, which can become quite hazardous after heavy rain.”
“Hopefully it also encourages visitors to drive through, stop and enjoy our beautiful town.”
The signs can be spotted in the town of Quairading, located in the Wheatbelt region.
“Your GPS is wrong, this is not the best route to Perth,” the road sign reads.
“Turn around and travel via the Quairading-York road.”
The post attracted plenty of attention, racking up more than 15,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
“Finally vindicated, I’ve been telling my GPS they’re wrong for years!” one person wrote.
“That sign wasn’t there in my day, but I can imagine exactly where it is. Amazing they haven’t updated the maps still. (The paper ones work just fine.),” wrote another.
A third said: “I have three experiences where a sign like this would have been appreciated.”
Some people speculated about the reason for the sign, as one man wrote: “I think it’s a clever ploy by Quairading to make tourists drive through their town — maybe stop for coffee etc. marketing 101.”
“Us West Aussies will do anything to get people to come and visit us. Trust me, it’s worth it. Take the detour!” a woman agreed.
Quairading Shire president Jo Haythornthwaite has explained the road in question — Old Beverley Road — is commonly suggested by Google and GPS when travellers want to drive to Perth, but in reality it is “very unsafe”.
“What Google does not recognise is that their suggestion of taking the Old Beverley Road leads travellers and tourists onto a low lying road that has 15kms of gravel, is very slippery when wet and is prone to flooding,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the traveller is unaware of this and often our local farmers are often called upon to assist travellers who have run off the road or have encountered problems when travelling along the road.”
The Quairading Shire has requested Google to change its algorithm to recognise the slightly longer but far safer alternative route for a long time, but after several failed attempts the signs were erected to provide a clear and concise message to travellers.
“In the fairly short amount of time that the signs have been up, it has been noticed that there is less traffic along the Old Beverley Road,” Ms Haythornthwaite said.
“So, without knowing specific numbers we believe that, although some continue to use the less safe route of the Old Beverley Road, many travellers are taking notice and following the signage,”
“This has been a pleasing result for the Shire in our attempts to keep our road users as safe as possible,” she highlighted.
Many Aussies have shared their own GPS fail stories from across Australia, with one woman going as far as putting up her own signage.
“I had to put this temporary sign on my gate as about 30 cars wanted to come through my farm heading to a party somewhere. I have reported to Google twice that it isn’t a public road but nothing has changed,” she wrote.
A snap of a similar DIY sign in Broken Hill was shared, where the owner wrote on tires to ensure his “Google maps is wrong” message can be easily seen.
Several other councils in Australia have put up similar “official” road signs.