

QUICKMAP APPS DRIVERS
During a crisis or weather-related situation, Waze takes a thoughtful approach to optimizing route planning by taking a number of factors into account - driver input, road conditions, real-time speeds, historical traffic data and more - to direct drivers to the most efficient, safest route.”

"We have a network of more than 115 million monthly global active users inputting updates directly into the app in real-time. "Our goal at Waze is to deliver a smooth driving experience to help drivers get anywhere safely and on time," a Waze spokesperson said. Credit: AP/REX/ShutterstockĪ Waze spokesperson emphasized this capability further.
QUICKMAP APPS UPDATE
So Waze being crowdsourced, we’re able to update the map in real time, and from information from our local map editor community."Ĭaltrans tries to clear several feet of snow from California State Route 2 in the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in what is turning out to be a very wet winter. "Weather situations are very dynamic," Maiyan Bino, Waze's crisis response lead, said. It works with state agencies, mapping partners, and users to imbue the app with up-to-the-minute information. Waze says that its model as a crowd-sourced platform actually has an advantage for navigating in bad weather. Google Maps didn't respond to Mashable's request for comment, and Apple declined to comment on why these predicaments can happen with Apple Maps. Waze (a Google subsidiary) is duly aware of the issues posed by inclement weather. To get the word out about what these agencies see as the dangers of straying from government-approved routes, multiple Caltrans agencies have been tweeting out advisories to not follow the potentially wayward advice of some GPS services. "There have been many occurrences of the CHP being called to assist stranded motorists who were ' just following (my) GPS,'" Hoey said. It's become a problem for drivers, as well as law enforcement, because when a traveler gets stuck in the snow after following unconventional GPS routes, it often falls to CHP officers to save them. The CHP and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have been attempting to dissuade travelers from straying from main routes. If a car blocks a backroad, vehicles attempting a similar hack end up getting stuck behind the driver with the original bad idea. In addition to potentially putting drivers in harm's way, the bad situations people can get in by following apps can even make traffic worse. In January 2018, some tourists in snowy Burlington, Vermont, ended up in a lake - after they said Waze directed them to drive along a boat launch. "There have been many instances where navigational traffic apps have outdated or incorrect information which may end up routing motorists to unsafe or non-existent routes," Ian Hoey, an officer with California Highway Patrol (CHP), said. But in inclement weather, these apps can lead unwitting drivers like Rachael down unpaved, unplowed, or unsafe roads - turning an attempt to avoid traffic into a disaster. That might be fine (if occasionally treacherous) in snow-free cities. Real-time navigation apps attempt to game traffic by sending drivers down side roads to avoid jams on major streets. Rachael got out of the car because she and Thomas truly didn't know whether to forge ahead, or cut their losses, and turn back. Suddenly, a sign informed them that they were on an unpaved road. The road narrowed and became purely residential, and the snow started to build. Navigating that very traffic nightmare, Rachael and Thomas decided to consult both Waze and Apple Maps the latter guided them toward an unconventional route out of town. That's great for skiers, but massive snowfalls and winter storms falling on travel-heavy Presidents Day Weekend also ended up causing what the Big Bear Grizzly described as "traffic nightmares." Mountain towns and some cities across the country have experienced record snow this February. Google Maps wants to help you avoid that speeding ticket
