In an effort to keep its users safer on the roads, the crowdsourced traffic navigation app, Waze Maps, debuted a new snow reporting feature for drivers in Canada and the United States. This real-time feature will send drivers road safety issues including icy or snowy driving conditions as well as fog, hail, flood, or unplowed roads. To report unsafe conditions, users can just flag the issues in-app.
The crowdsourced traffic navigation app boasts over 130 million monthly active users, creating a diverse resource to give drivers up-to-date information regarding weather-related hazards. This feature will be especially useful in the coming years as climate change creates more unpredictable weather that many residents will be unfamiliar with.
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Why This Trend Is Growing
- Real-time Weather Reporting
- Waze Maps' real-time snow reporting feature creates opportunities for other navigation apps to incorporate live weather updates
- Crowdsourced Safety Information
- Crowdsourced safety information can be used in other industries as well, such as emergency services
- Climate Change Preparedness
- New innovations in technology, such as Waze Maps' snow reporting feature, can help communities better prepare for changing weather patterns
Industries Being Reshaped
- Navigation Apps
- Navigation apps can integrate similar real-time weather reports for increased road safety
- Emergency Services
- Emergency services can utilize crowdsourced safety information to better respond to crises
- Weather Technology
- Companies in the weather technology industry can develop more innovative ways to report and predict hazardous weather conditions
