GPS app Waze rolls out new ‘Snow Warning’ feature that notifies drivers when roads are hazardous because of winter weather
- Waze teamed up with the Virginia Department of Transportation for a feature
- Users will receive ‘Snow Warnings’ when roads are not safe because of weather
- They can also report when streets are not plowed – all in real-time
Winter is just around the corner for parts of the world and Waze has added a new feature to keep those living in these areas safe while on the road.
The app now offers ‘Snow Warnings’ for drivers approaching streets that are potentially hazardous due to inclement weather.
Users can report, in real-time, when a road has not been plowed and stay informed when the approach an area that has been identified by other drivers as unplowed.
The feature will offer the Waze community of over 130 million monthly users the opportunity to be better prepared for winter weather conditions, as reported on by 9to5Google.
Waze teamed with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for the new feature.
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now offers ‘Snow Warnings’ for drivers approaching streets that are potentially hazardous due to inclement weather. Users can report, in real-time, when a road has not been plowed and stay informed when they approach an area that has been identified by others as unplowed
VDOT presented the now offers ‘Snow Warnings’ for drivers approaching streets that are potentially hazardous due to inclement weather idea to the Waze ahead of the winter season in order to keep drivers better informed while on the road.
And app allows users to report a range of weather included ‘ice on road’, ‘flood’ ‘hail’ and ‘fog’, so others can see what lays ahead of them.
Dani Simons, Head of Public Sector Partnerships at Waze, said: ‘One of the primary reasons we created the Waze for Cities Data program was to provide public agencies with data and insights to reduce traffic and improve the safety of their roadways.’
‘Unplowed Road’ feature perfectly exemplifies what can be accomplished when we collaborate with public sector partners to meet community needs.’
VDOT plans on using its resources to monitor the reports users make to Waze and gather information about who are cleaning snow off their driveways and sidewalks in order to provide the best data in real-time.
The app allows users to report a range of weather included ‘ice on road’, ‘flood’ ‘hail’ and ‘fog’
The feature will offer the Waze community of over 130 million monthly users the opportunity to be better prepared for winter weather conditions
VDOT Chief Deputy Commissioner Rob Cary said: ‘At VDOT, our people are constantly exploring innovations and new technologies with the ultimate goal of providing the best service to the residents of the Commonwealth and all those who travel our roads.’
‘Many use crowdsourcing in their daily lives. We wanted to explore this method of information gathering to help improve safety and better assess the conditions of our roads during winter weather.’
‘We value our partnership with Waze, and look forward to monitoring the real-time reports on road conditions and determining how best to incorporate the data into our future operations.’
The new feature is now available in over 185 countries where Waze is accessible, and can be found under “Hazards -> Weather -> Unplowed Road.”
The feature highlights Waze’s commitment to helping its community across the globe navigate traffic through all driving conditions more efficiently and safely.
