Attempt to add RR grade crossing alerts to digital maps

I have an even better idea:  how about drivers get their eyes off of their electronic toys' screens and actually look at the roads they are driving on.

Anybody who cannot see a RR crossing (irrespective of signage) is too blind to drive, and any truck driver who cannot tell that the crossing is going to cause the rig problems shouldn't have a CDL.

While I think it's a good idea for the maps to always have as much information as possible, I also agree with Palallin above. Some common sense needs to be used when driving and you need to be aware of your surroundings no matter what your app or map or whatever is saying. Also the roads and other things change and the maps lag behind the changes being made. I don't think they are never completely up to date to match actual conditions.

Honestly, I agree with you fellas -- drivers need to pay attention.  But then I still physically stop at RR crossings and actually turn my neck to look both ways.  (Safety Bonus: you get see some great rollng stock that way :-).  

And the stories/complaints that I hear from friends about using their digital navigation systems have never inspired confidence in the data nor in peoples' ability to drive undistracted using these systems.

TRRR (Curmudgeon in training)

Ah...sure! Let's blame the technology instead of placing the blame where it belongs - squarely on the shoulders of the incompetent driver who can't look out the window to see where he's going!

Amazing. 

While l am old-fashioned and use maps to get around, with general success, once l used a friend's GPS to try find a Menard's in southern Ind. It led me on convoluted circle tour among assorted side streets, for a store right off the interstate. I was not inpressed. I recommend your mother's admonition to look both ways before crossing the street (tracks).

So why doesn't Congress just get off its butt and just mandate man-rated software (that cannot be hacked), mil spec GPS systems (that cannot be stolen for nefarious purposes), and non-hackable networks that tie it all together?   If you're going to add this kind of information to mapping systems, all the components better be dead-on accurate.  My GPS is accurate to 10 meters - that's 2 lanes on the highway.   To me, that's not good enough. 

As an aside, how does PTC know which track a train is on,  say, in the NorthEast Corridor?  If there's onboard hardware involved, how does anyone ensure it's secure?

Wally

I especially liked the end of the article where several people followed their GPS directions around a road closed sign.

Nathan

Self-driving cars pretty soon will be ubiquitous so the maps better be correct!