Help bring a motorcycle mode to Google Maps

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Last year, Google Maps introduced a two-wheeler mode for motorcycles and scooters in India – and with talk of it making the move to other countries, insurance specialists Carole Nash has launched a campaign to bring it to the UK.

Google Maps currently provides travel routes, navigation and travel time estimates for public transport, bicycles, cars and walking.

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Google Australia spoke publicly about the brilliant new feature for motorcyclists, with communications manager Kristine Arnott suggesting that while India is currently the only country with two-wheeler mode, that’s all set to change.

Arnott said; “We look forward to bringing two-wheeler mode to additional countries in the coming months. Two-wheeler mode differs from driving mode in terms of both the routes a rider may be offered, and the ETAs they will see. Routes for two-wheelers take account of roads on which travel by two-wheelers is legally prohibited by local authorities, and they also take advantage of a greater portion of the overall street grid when suggesting potential routes. This allows a rider to, in many cases, use smaller side roads to complete their journey more directly and in less time, whereas we’d rarely route a car along these same narrow side roads. Also, we estimate road speeds for two-wheelers separately than for cars, resulting in ETAs that should be more accurate for a two-wheeler than the driving ETA would be for that same two-wheeler – particularly if the route passes through areas of heavy traffic congestion, where a car may get stuck but a two-wheeler can pass by more easily.”

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With many riders now choosing to use their phone for navigation rather than a dedicated motorbike GPS, a two-wheeler mode in Google Maps makes perfect sense. British riders have already started an online petition to have the two-wheeler mode added to their Google Maps. And if you want to help the cause, click HERE.


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