Baase describes a situation: (p362): “Navigation System Directs Car Into River…T

Question

Baase describes a situation: (p362): “Navigation System Directs Car Into River…These headlines describe real incidents.” I cannot find a verifiable case where that was true; however, let us assume that the incident did, indeed, happen and it was demonstrated that the GPS showed a route across a bridge that had been removed the previous year. In the inevitable civil lawsuit following, the plaintiff is seeking damages to cover the deductible on their insurance policy, court costs, attorney’s fees, and punitive damages totaling $200,000. You are on the jury, would you vote to award damages to the plaintiff? Why or why not?

Explanation / Answer

                                                Navigation System Directs Car into River

“Navigation System Directs Car into River” looking funny and depicts the standard motivation on up to date with technology application usage.

As a jury member, I would not like to vote to award damages to the plaintiff until unless, if the real cause from the “Navigation Direction and GPS maps”.

Before deciding that, whether we need to award damages to the plaintiff or not, we can understand how it can go wrong, we need a basic understanding of how it works.

How it works! :

Simply, GPS receivers use a combination of

signals from a network of satellites

Ground stations

Map data from GPS device manufactures partners company

To figure out where you’re and where you’d like to go. Based on that information overlaid onto the maps, that will stored on respective person device.

Its priceless how expensive a GPS device is, when it comes to getting where you want to go, it’s really only as the satellite network and its map data. We need to understand the concern with respect to satellite signals and map data, as follows

The first concern about the GPS is that satellite signals aren’t 100% accurate all the times due eco system problems, natural calamities. Accuracy level is like 164 to 328 feet (recent surveys)

The second concern is that maps quickly go out dated due to heavy construction and transport alterations. The directions on your device compiles are based on the digital maps provided by a mapping and corresponding navigation company that has partnered with the device manufacturer.

Without the most up-to-date maps, you’re in danger.

Let’s dig more to understand why GPS device might leads you down the wrong path, from mapping problems to bad satellite signals.

These are points to depict that, how the Navigation System collaborate with the Satellite signals to provide the direction to destination defined.

Now we try to understand, whether we need to award the damage to the plaintiff,

Why not:

This is responsibility of the end user toupdate the map data,based onupdates in their respective GPS devices , If map data is at fault inaccuracies, user are usually at fault for outdated data. (This is end user need to take care)

Even with the up-to-date mapping and navigation application, your GPS device is still at the mercy of its satellite network. Accuracy problems can arise due to Atmospheric conditions and Orbital error (satellite not able to transmit signals due to atmosphere changes). This is out of control from humans. (We can’t blame in this regard)

                         At last I’m concluding that, until unless if the technical issue from the Navigation Company with respect to delayed update to the end user in case of map data alterations, as a jury member we’ll not award the damages to the plaintiff.

Thanks

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