Google is being petitioned to add a 'Reduce Left Turns' feature to Maps

In one of cinema's most heartwrenching scenes, Derek Zoolander made the almost teary-eyed confession that couldn't turn left. "I'm not an ambi-turner," he said, of his one-way moves. And now a pair of New York City Council members are asking Google to redesign its maps to make the city a little more Zoolander-like. Brad Lander and Ydanis Rodriguez have contacted the tech giant to suggest that it adds a "reduce left turns" feature to its Maps app, a modification that they say would make the streets safer for drivers and pedestrians. They have also suggested a "stay on truck routes" feature that would keep truck drivers from turning into residential neighborhoods.

In their letter, Lander and Rodriguez wrote:

As you may know, New York City has been taking a lead in making our streets safer for all users, with our 'Vision Zero' goal of eliminating pedestrian deaths from preventable traffic crashes. We believe that these two steps could help us achieve those goals.

And their concerns – as specific as they sound – might be warranted. According to WYNC's research, New York has more pedestrian fatalities caused by left-turning vehicles than any state in the country (last year, 17 pedestrians and 3 cyclists were killed by cars attempting to turn in that direction). And the Department of Transportation says that left turn-related car accidents outnumber right turn-related ones, 3 to 1.

Google has yet to respond to the letter. "We hope, knowing that Google is one of those good private entities, that Google can look at this," Rodriguez said.