Here is an interesting news story from the Australian Broadcasting Company relating to Apples mapping "prowess".
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-10/apple-maps-strands-motorists-looking-for-mildura/4418400
(Also I liked the article because it concerns my home town of Mildura!)
As much as apple screwed up the maps this is also stupid people, do not just blindly follow turn by turn directions, look on the map on the phone and let the turn by turn serve only as reminders.
I think articles like this say more about the stupidity of people than it does the programming competence of Apple Maps developers.
I'm pretty sure any place that has at least any signs of civilization will have real physical road signs that are supposed to be used for... you know, navigation... that apparently do not exist in Australia.
Actually I would like to disagree with you here. After reading the article these people were heading somewhere they had never been before, how are they going to know if they reached their destination or not. They had never been there, they do not know what to expect. They put their faith in their GPS and it was incorrect and through a series of unfortonute events they were left stranded and having to call for help.
I am not sure what part of the world you live in, but I live in the American south and some places you can drive for hours before seeing any signs of civiliazation.
Do road signs exist where you live? (Serious question..) Because anywhere I've been, even places without civilization, road signs exist. Road signs have also been the primary method of navigation I've ever used. In fact, I've never used any form of digital navigation for travelling anywhere in my life. Sure, I might look at a map to grasp an idea of the general route, but I always use road signs to actually know where to go.
P.S. I live in Atlantic Canada, and I've travelled (by land) as far west as Windsor, Ontario and as far south as Portland, Maine.
The flaw in your argument that people are stupid for following turn-by-turn is that they are sold on the fact "Hey get this and it replaces your TomTom!" So having said that what were they supposed to think? It isn't uncommon for schools now to not teach people how to read maps so they rely entirely on GPS systems/mobile phones.
Again, if you're driving your eyes are on the road. Are people now incapable of looking at a road signs right infront of them? Anybody who thinks they can rely on technology to be perfect is most likely, probably not too bright. How can anybody be convinced that a GPS on their phone is more reliable than road signs that are put there by the same people who made the roads?
It's sounds like these people would drive straight into a river if their phone said to do it.