Relying on GPS in Brazil can be a fatal error - please be careful

Regina Múrmura, 70-years old, shot and killed.

We have seen an alarming increase over the past couple of years of cases where people who were not familiar with their surrounding and relied on GPS devices for routing, have blundered into favelas where they've been robbed, attacked and even killed. DO NOT BECOME THE NEXT VICTIM.

Recently an elderly couple, using GPS directions wound up in Moro de Caramujo, one of the worst favelas in Niterói - RJ when they were attacked and fired upon by heavily armed drug traffickers.70-year old Regina Múrmura was killed instantly, her husband, 69-year old Francisco Múrmura was attacked and beaten. Their car was riddled with bullet holes.



Their intended destination was a restaurant on Avenida Quintino Bocaiúva, in the bairro São Francisco in Niterói, where they were going to meet their son. They entered the destination as Rua Quintino Bocaiúva, which is in the favela some 9 Km. away. The GPS application took them into the heart of the favela.

This is a serious problem all over Brazil, almost every municipality in the country has duplicated names of streets in various bairros in the same municipality. A simple error of entering "Rua" and not "Avenida", cost this poor woman her life. Sad to say, she's not the first and will not be the last.

Safety tips when using GPS

1. Make absolutely certain to enter in the correct address of your destination, paying particular attention to designation Avenida, Rua, Estrada, etc. due to duplication of names this can be a fatal error.

2.  Plan your trip before you leave, checking all the possible routes suggested by your GPS device. Don't wait until you leave and expect to follow the directions as you go.

3.  If you're not familiar with the area then avoid travel at night. If you find yourself in surrounding that cause you concerns (slummy, run-down, dirty areas), abandon the trip, turn around and go home. Better to miss an event or appointment than to lose your life.

4.  Try to stick to well travelled, high movement thoroughfares where your safety will generally be much better.

5.  If you can get someone who knows the route to tell you some landmarks you should be looking for along the route this will help keep you from straying from your intended course.

Cheers,
James     Expat-blog Experts Team