Google Maps allows some users to report car crashes and police speed traps

by Georgi Zarkov / Nov 07, 2018, 6:30 AM

Google Maps allows some users to report car crashes and police speed traps

Google Maps is one of the world’s most popular navigation apps, but if you want to avoid costly speeding tickets your best bet right now is probably Waze. Waze allows its users to share information about the traffic and anything else worth knowing while you're driving. You might not know this, but Waze was bought by Google back in 2013. And while the Waze team was mostly left to do its thing, it seems that Google is finally planning to make use of some of the acquired know-how.

Google didn’t announce they were doing anything new, but AndroidPolice spotted that some Reddit users are already sharing their impressions about features that most of us haven’t even seen. Namely, the added options to report a crash or a speed trap from within Google Maps.

According to the comments, if you have the feature available, Google Maps will let you report one of the sightings at your current location. It appears that for now it only allows you to do that if the app is navigating you somewhere and not if you just happen to see a police patrol and want to notify your fellow drivers. Of course, you can always set a destination and do it then, but that’s a bit of a hassle.

Since the new functions are in some testing phase don’t expect to see police warnings just yet. With few users being able to report and even fewer actually doing it, you better keep your eyes open and your speed reasonable (as you should anyway).

Does this mean that Google is looking to slowly phase out Waze and lure its users to its Maps app? Very unlikely, at least for the time being. Either way, bringing more features to most users go-to navigation app is a welcomed move by Google and we’re hoping to see them on our devices soon enough.

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6 Comments

1. gamehead unregistered

I don't know what took so long but I'm glad these features are coming.

posted on Nov 07, 2018, 6:52 AM 2

2. lyndon420

Posts: 6818; Member since: Jul 11, 2012

I think a good feature would be having our current speed displayed, and an alert if we are over the speed limit by 6 or 7 km/miles per hour (with the option to turn it off of course).

posted on Nov 07, 2018, 7:39 AM 2

3. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

I wonder if Google will disable the speedcam feature in certain countries since it's illegal to use this option. Not even sure if Waze does this.

posted on Nov 07, 2018, 8:12 AM 0

4. JC557

Posts: 1919; Member since: Dec 07, 2011

Basically what Nokia and their maps have been doing for a long while now. I think it carried over into Here Maps but I don't use it all that often.

posted on Nov 07, 2018, 8:30 AM 0

5. Rampage_Taco

Posts: 1079; Member since: Jan 17, 2017

So basically, Google is slowly siphoning Waze's features into their base maps app. which is nice because you don't need to have both apps, but at the same time it's making Waze all around redundant

posted on Nov 07, 2018, 9:27 AM 0

6. irossdrummer

Posts: 369; Member since: Jan 17, 2015

what about construction? I swear every time construction is going on for years in the same place google maps only knows of like 20% of it and I'm always told to be taking roads or exits that are closed