by Elizabeth Millard

The strides in online mapping applications has come a long way from the early days of the Internet, when printed maps were scanned and put on a site. Now, sites like Google, MapQuest, and Yahoo have hybrid maps with satellite imagery, current traffic tangles, potential construction delays, and personalization features.

So, does that mean you can always get from point A to point B reliably? Well, not necessarily. Although the maps can be stellar, the driving directions that accompany a route may contain errors, or not be as direct as a driver might like, according to Jonathan Crowe, who runs The Map Room, a blog about online mapping services, cartography, and geospatial technology.

"Online maps aren't inherently more or less error prone than paper maps," he says. "No mapping method has a monopoly on accuracy." And no algorithm can replace human intelligence or common sense.

Challenges usually come in when directions are created, he adds. If someone is using a traditional paper map to figure out a route, he or she might study the map and make a best guess as to the route based on information like major highways. Unless the driver is up for a challenge, the tendency isn't to pick back roads, side streets and winding smaller avenues. Locals may know the short cut, but those unfamiliar with the terrain tend to stick to the safe-looking route.

Typically, online maps do the same thing. "The problem isn't with online directions—it's that we put too much faith in them," says Crowe. "We expect them to have that local intelligence about which side streets are better, or where the construction sites are. And, though I don't know what algorithms the mapping providers use, I don't think they're that smart."

Much like paper maps, older digital maps go out of date—and the age of a map matters when it comes to accuracy. Also, software isn't perfect, Crowe notes, and glitches happen. In fact, he is surprised that the directions are as accurate as often as they are. Even the map providers acknowledge that their services aren't infallible. Almost all companies that provide map data include a disclaimer about construction projects, traffic or other events that may cause road conditions to differ from the map results.

Despite this, there are many stories around the Web and in the anecdotes of frequent online map users detailing directions that take them in a crazy loop, or send them through a series of small neighborhoods even though a highway is close by, and would be the shortest route. Some who follow directions devotedly can even find themselves the wrong way on a one way street, and Crowe notes that more than once, he's heard about people ignoring warning signs and their surroundings simply because the directions seemed reliable.

On the whole, he notes, online maps are an incredibly useful tool, and getting better all the time. Analysts have noted that the introduction of local features is particularly useful for visitors to an area, because travelers can peruse restaurants, movies, and events in specific neighborhoods.

To amp up the clarity of maps even further, a driver might opt for on-board navigation tools found in some cars, or for GPS systems that use satellite technology for tracking the car and providing the route, step by step. Whether you get digital maps and direction right in your car or online, they tend to be more detailed than paper maps, and as long as they're updated frequently, they can be a boon for driving.

One source for online maps that you won't be able to live without once you try it, is the Hotspot Finder from iPass. Use it to search for Wi-Fi access points in all of your travel destinations—near and far. Whether you search for wireless by type of location, country, airport code or key word, you'll get back a nifty map with a link to driving directions.

When using online maps for actual navigation (especially when traveling in an unfamiliar place), its always a good idea to do a quick double check using a few sources, or at least to have a traditional, old paper map handy just in case.

"They're tools," says Crowe, "but you shouldn't trust them implicitly. They are no substitute for carefully reading the map—whether it's digital or paper—paying attention to road signs, and generally using your common sense."