Google, Apple and TomTom make changes to satellite navigation after Milton Keynes crash

Following the collision, National Highways narrowed the exit to the bypass road, installed another ‘no entry’ sign and also erected signs warning drivers not to use sat navs.

Tony Fisher/BBC One lane of the bypass is lined with two large 'no entry' signs: red circles with a horizontal white line in the centre. There are also cones that line the bypass along a line from the image font around the bypass until they are out of sight. A yellow sign with black words — Following the collision, National Highways narrowed the exit to the bypass road, installed another ‘no entry’ sign and also erected signs warning drivers not to use sat navs.

Google and Apple have agreed to change their audio guidance after a double fatal crash was apparently caused by incorrect satellite navigation directions.

Coroner warned tech companiesincluding a TomTom, to the risk of future deaths after a woman drove the wrong way onto the A5 near Milton Keynes.

Sean Cummings, assistant coroner, said Tracey Haybittle, 58, and Amal Mohamed Ahmed, 38, died in the head-on collision after Ms Ahmed appeared to follow “audio directions from her sat nav app”.

TomTom said it recently made changes to its verbal instructions. Apple and Google hoped that changes to their audio prompts would provide clearer guidance.

In November 2023, Ms Ahmed was “following audio directions” while driving on a slip road near the Little Brickhill junction.

In a report to prevent future deaths of Ms Ahmed, the coroner noted that police present at the accident saw three other vehicles “perform the exact same maneuver as Ms Ahmed and attempt to drive down the slip road in the wrong direction”.

National Highways has since installed signs warning motorists not to use the bypass.

Responding to a message, a representative Apple said the company would add special voice prompts for drivers heading past the A5 exit towards the A5 on-ramp.

They said: “We believe that the steps we are taking will help avoid similar tragic events in the future.”

Motorists will be instructed to “continue straight on the overpass” as they travel west. Once on the flyover, drivers will be instructed to “turn right onto the A5 towards Milton Keynes, Bletchley”.

Google stated that while it is unclear whether Google Maps was involved in the incident, they have also made improvements to ensure similar incidents do not occur in the future.

The company said its teams are working to improve audio synchronization to provide more effective guidance in situations such as this one.

A spokesman said: “This will include a modified audible prompt when a driver approaches a junction where they must cross an overpass: ‘after the overpass, turn right.’

“We hope this will provide drivers with clearer instructions and help reduce the risk of making wrong turns.”

TomTom has advised users to update their systems after the company recently introduced additional security measures to “limit driver confusion wherever possible”.

The report said this was done by issuing verbal commands closer to the actual exit and after driving down a sloped road.