Startup Idea: Efficient Navigation App for Rural Areas
I am a social worker who frequently travels in rural areas to see clients. Often, their locations are unfamiliar to me (I may only go out to a house one time). I currently use the Waze app on my iPhone 6 to guide me to the addresses; however, I find that it frequently gives me incorrect directions (for example, will have me zig-zagging through a small town up and down one way streets instead of taking me straight down the main road in town). In addition, the Waze app does not indicate if my destination is on the left or right, which is very helpful when traveling in rural areas where houses are very far apart, driveways may be difficult to see, and mailboxes are perched on the other side of the road.
It would be very helpful to have an app that gave more efficient directions (again, the example of zig-zagging on secondary roads instead of taking one down the main road or corridor) and indicated if I should be looking for an address on the left or right. I have tried using google maps and the iPhone maps application but have found them to be inconvenient (less easy to open and save addresses to, frequently not updated for instances where a road is closed, do not indicate the presence of police or accidents on my route).
I have also used a GPS that is not connected to my phone but felt it was a hassle to remember to remove it from my vehicle and connect it to the internet for updates manually. It was a cheaper GPS because funding is tight - I could never afford a nice one and would be hesitant to spend a lot of money on an app because it would inevitably be coming out of my own packet.
Finally, because I have many appointments in a day and timeliness is very important, I am hesitant to experiment with other apps that may give me incorrect or outdated directions.