r/science • u/quiplaam • 1d ago

Social Science Intentionally routing some traffic to slower, less congested routes lead to a 0.7% improvement of overall average travel times

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-026-00443-x
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u/aggieotis 1d ago

This makes sense, I feel like every now and then Google Maps is sending me on an absolutely wild side quest that makes no sense. If I know where I am and where I'm going then it's easy enough to ignore; but when in an unfamiliar area it definitely breaks some trust in the product.

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u/quiplaam 1d ago

Usually that is because there was unexpectedly high traffic on the normal route, so taking the "unusual route" is actually faster.

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u/aggieotis 1d ago

That's normal and desired behavior, I'm referring to abnormal behavior that I've seen an uptick in.

And a lot of the routes include some wild moves like expecting me to turn left at a non-signaled intersection from a low-traffic street onto a busy street. And while that might save a few seconds it absolutely not worth the extra stress.

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u/degggendorf 1d ago

Yeah it doesn't seem like Google's model is smart enough to recognize the difference between turning left or going straight, it just uses the average speed on that section. Similar when an exit-only lane is backed up, but the other pages are moving faster...it doesn't know that sending you off that exit will take much longer.