Help bring a motorcycle mode to Google Maps

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.

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.”

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.