Google is using AI in Waze to deliver crash history alerts about dangerous roads

With so much focus on Google Maps as a navigation tool, it is easy to forget that Google also owns Waze and that this app is often home to far more exciting and useful features.

Demonstrating this, Google has just announced a new feature for Waze that is partly AI-powered, partly community driven; Crash History Alerts. This road safety feature is very much what it sounds like -- a warning system that lets users know about potentially dangerous, crash-prone roads based on historical data.

See also:

• Google is making it easier to get the best prices and find discount codes
• Delayed: Windows 11 23H2 is not available via the Media Creation Tool because Microsoft is busy with 'size optimization'
• Microsoft is killing off three Windows services because of security concerns

The feature is in the process of rolling out to all Waze users, with Google touting it as a way of helping to reduce road deaths by providing drivers with helpful information. The idea is a simple one, and it builds on the existing features of Waze that generate warnings based on user-submitted information.

The company says of crash history alerts:

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.

If you're concerned that this means you'll be bombarded with an endless stream of warnings, Google adds: "To minimize distractions, we limit the number of alerts drivers see, and don't show them on roads they regularly navigate".

More information about the feature is available here.