What happened

A driver working for an Amazon delivery service tried to reach Foulness Island and was routed by a AI-powered, GPS-based routing system onto The Broomway, which is an ancient, unpaved tidal track across the Thames Estuary that is not intended for vehicles and quickly becomes hazardous as tides change.

The van subsequently became bogged down in deep mud and water on the flats, with the tide beginning to rise around it. The driver exited safely, but the vehicle was left stranded until a local farmer later recovered it.

The pathway is known locally as extremely dangerous, historically causing numerous drownings among people unfamiliar with its nature. 

Why it happened

The incident can be attributed to a failure of algorithmic oversight and corporate accountability. 

Amazon’s proprietary Flex navigation system failed to account for the physical reality of the Broomway, which is a mudflat, not a road, and did not integrate real-time tidal data or environmental hazards.

Reports from Amazon drivers suggest a culture of "following the app at all costs." In this case, the driver likely prioritised meeting delivery quotas over personal judgement, or lacked the local knowledge to override the digital instruction.

Reports indicate that when the driver reached the sea wall and questioned the route, her human supervisor, who was also relying on the same digital interface, simply asked, "Does the satnav tell you to go that way?" 

When she said yes, the supervisor told her to proceed - a classic example of automation bias, where humans defer to the AI's "judgement" as the ultimate source of truth, even in the face of obvious physical risk. 

Amazon’s reliance on independent Delivery Service Providers (DSPs) creates a "responsibility gap." By classifying drivers as contractors, the company can distance itself from the logistical failures of the algorithms that actually dictate the drivers' movements.