Transport for NSW has issued a warning after Google AI made false claims about changes to road rules, including that drivers must keep their headlights on at all times.
The false statements arise when searching for “Australian road rules for headlights”, which prompts a Google AI summary that links to a site incorrectly claiming that, as of November 10, drivers will face a $250 fine if their headlights were turned off, even in “broad daylight”.
“The regulation requires that all vehicles keep headlights switched on even in broad daylight to enhance road safety and prevent collisions,” the false summary read.
The prompt, which appeared under Google’s “People also ask” section, is one of multiple pieces of misinformation circulating about supposed changes to NSW road rules.
Others falsely suggested stricter rules had been introduced for elderly drivers, or incorrectly claimed updates had been made to fines for driving while smoking, according to Transport NSW.
“Accessing accurate information about road rules and safety is critically important to ensure that we all remain safe when using the roads,” Transport for NSW Secretary Josh Murray said, per The Guardian.
“We recommend relying on a trusted source, like the NSW government website, to get the right advice and correct information,” he added.
A potential source of the misinformation could be that road rules vary between states, meaning there’s no singular set of nation-wide rules for Google AI to draw its summaries from.
Now, for all those curious, there are rules in place around the use of headlights, but they do not stipulate they need to remain on at all times.
In NSW, drivers can face fines of $140 and the loss of one demerit point for driving in the dark without headlights on. At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, you’re all good to drive without headlights on during the day time.
It’s not the first time Google AI has caused a stir, with scores of netizens flocking to share the truly bonkers summaries that appeared when the feature first launched last year.
While Transport for NSW has since clarified the issue, we must spare a thought for whoever abided by the fake rule and subsequently cooked their battery after leaving their headlights on all day.
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