Google Street View Cover the Whole UK (well, 96%)

Google [GOOG] have now updated the UK maps with 96% coverage of the UK in Street View. There’s just a few streets missing as of now, but generally the whole UK is covered.

This allows Google Streetview users to view almost any street in the UK from the eyes of cameras that have been mounted on cars for the last 18 months or so and immerse themselves in to the streets around them (or anywhere else).

Google came under fire though due to Streetview with some people believing it was too obtrusive. However, most people feel it’s quite a cool feature to have and I have to admit it’s an impressive undertaking to get the whole of the UK covered.

Since Google Streetview arrived 18 or so months or more ago, Google have seen a 30% increase to their Google Maps website which is quite an impressive amount of traffic.

Although the whole of the UK is covered, they are also working in other countries bringing streetview to as many places as legally possible. As for privacy, the system uses an automated way to blur out faces and number-plates from cars to prevent personal data being mined from the service.

Head on over to Google now to take a look at Streetview. To get it working, load up maps.google.co.uk, zoom in somewhere, drag the orange man from the left bar (above the zoom slider) and place him on the map where abouts you want to have a look at.