The Google-owned maps app Waze is adding a new safety feature that aims to give drivers an idea of just how dangerous an upcoming stretch of road is.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Google revealed the app is rolling out crash history alerts to inform users if a “crash-prone road” is a part of their route.
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As the alert will appear before they reach that section of tarmac, it’ll give drivers the chance to drive a little more cautiously on that stretch.
The feature is powered by the crowdsourced data of crash reports users see every day when using the Waze app, while (naturally) there’s a little AI magic involved too.
Google says the alerts won’t appear on roads you’re familiar with, and the alerts will be limited to reduce potential distractions. However, all-in-all it sounds like a no-brainer of a feature for Waze users who’re used to notifications about accidents, speed cameras, and police presence.
“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,” Google writes in the blog post.
“If your route includes a crash-prone road, we’ll show you an alert before you reach that section of your journey. To minimise distractions, we limit the number of alerts drivers see, and don’t show them on roads they regularly navigate.”
Because Google often uses Waze as a testing ground for new features before bringing them into Google Maps, there’s a good chance this tool will be integrated into the main app at some point.
