Officers in Mildura, Victoria, said they had had to assist drivers stranded after following the software's directions. Some of the drivers had had no food or water for 24 hours.
Apple's software was heavily criticised by users when it was released in September. Last week, chief executive Tim Cook admitted Apple had "screwed up" and was working to improve the program.
In a press release, Victoria police's acting senior sergeant Sharon Darcy made her force's concerns clear. "Tests on the mapping system by police confirm the mapping systems lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, approximately 70km [45 miles] away from the actual location of Mildura," she said.
"Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the park and temperatures can reach as high as 46[C], making this a potentially life-threatening issue." The force advised travellers to use an alternative mapping service until the issues had been fixed.
In September, Apple dropped Google Maps from its iOS software in favour of its own mapping program. However, users were quick to complain it contained many inaccuracies, poor imagery and unreliable directions. Users have complained about the quality of satellite images in Apple's software
The company defended the software at first, telling users it was "confident about our map quality". However, Apple soon backtracked, posting an apology notice on its website.
Source: BBC News
