A Southfield homeowner says navigation apps are directing drivers onto his property nearly every day, with some crossing his front lawn after finding their route blocked. James Campbell says he and his wife have repeatedly reported the problem to Uber and other GPS apps, but vehicles continue to come through.
Campbell’s home sits at a dead end off a dirt road. His horseshoe driveway has entrances from two different streets, a layout that some navigation apps appear to identify as a road connecting them. According to Campbell, drivers enter the private driveway while following directions and, when parked cars prevent them from getting through, use the lawn to continue toward their destination.
His Ring camera has recorded numerous instances of vehicles traveling across the property. Campbell, who has two children younger than 5, says the repeated traffic presents a safety concern. He has put signs at both driveway entrances, but says the unwanted trips through his yard have continued despite those efforts.
Campbell says he has managed to stop and question some of the drivers. Each person he has spoken with was driving for Uber and said an app had directed them that way, he told 7 News Detroit. He questioned why drivers would continue onto grass simply because their navigation instructed them to follow that route, saying the property is clearly a driveway.
In one encounter recorded on camera, a driver identified herself as an Uber driver, said Uber had sent her there and apologized. Campbell says his efforts to get the route corrected have repeatedly led to instructions to submit a report through an app. Both he and his wife have completed that process multiple times, he said, without stopping the traffic across their property.
Uber told 7 News Detroit that the situation was concerning and that it was investigating. The company also said its drivers must obey road rules and posted signs. Uber noted that drivers are allowed to use navigation apps provided by third parties.
Campbell wants the navigation problem resolved so his private driveway no longer appears to offer drivers a route to another destination. He said he hopes Uber makes whatever changes are needed to prevent the driveway from being shown as an actual road.
