New Waze Feature Provides Early Warning for Accident-Prone Roads
New Waze Feature Provides Early Warning for Accident-Prone Roads
Google's navigation app has launched a feature that will show drivers alerts when they drive on “red” roads. The feature, which relies on driver reports and AI capabilities, is an encouraging sign that Google hasn't completely abandoned its investment in Waze
In a recent announcement, Google's navigation application, Waze, unveiled on Tuesday a new feature that promises to enhance road safety. This innovative addition will alert drivers to accident-prone roads, aiming to reduce the frequency of accidents and save lives.
The new feature leverages a combination of user-generated reports and advanced AI capabilities, marking a promising commitment from Google to bolster Waze, which was previously integrated into the company's Maps division just 11 months ago.
Every day, road accidents claim the lives of approximately 3,700 people worldwide. Waze's users contribute to road safety by reporting accidents, with an astonishing rate of one report every two seconds. But what if you could be forewarned about approaching roads with a history of accidents? Waze's official blog posed this question, and shared its solution.
"Thanks to AI and reports from the Waze community, crash history alerts combine historical crash data and key information about your route - such as its typical traffic levels, whether it’s a highway or local road, elevation, and more. If your route includes a crash-prone road, we’ll show you an alert before you reach that section of your journey. To minimize distractions, we limit the number of alerts drivers see, and don’t show them on roads they regularly navigate."
This marks the debut of Waze's first significant feature release in several months. It comes at the end of a challenging year for the app, beginning with Google's decision last December to fold Waze into its Geo division, signifying the end of the app's independence. The move raised concerns that it might be the initial step towards a gradual phase-out of the app. Additionally, in June, Waze faced further challenges when a round of layoffs affected the company's employees.
