Photo: autoevolution
Google Maps is getting another massive update. The Mountain View-based search giant announced at the I/O 2021 conference that the routing model would once again be updated to also provide users with the safest route to a defined destination.
In other words, Google Maps will no longer suggest only the fastest way to reach a specific address but also the safest one. Google says its navigation app can become a valuable tool for preventing and avoiding accidents.
And here’s how the whole thing is going to work once this feature goes live.
Google says it has conducted research with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which determined that the one particular reason for accidents in crowded regions is what's referred to as a hard-braking moment.
In other words, if you come across a sudden traffic jam or a road closure that you didn’t anticipate and you need to press your brakes hard, the likelihood of an accident is significantly higher.
So what Google Maps is going to do is look into the destination you provide, find a route to it, and then determine if it includes such hard-braking zones that you should avoid. If it does, then in addition to the fastest route that it determines by default, it can also suggest an alternative route that’s safer and avoids these sudden traffic jams or junctions that could result in more accidents.
Needless to say, the safer route could be longer than the fastest route, so it could take a bit more to reach your destination. Still, on the other hand, it helps you get to the destination with a reduced likelihood of an accident.
Now, if Google Maps determines that the safest route has nearly the same ETA as the fastest one, then the application shows it as the default option, therefore trying to keep you safe as you drive to your destination.
And here’s how the whole thing is going to work once this feature goes live.
Google says it has conducted research with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which determined that the one particular reason for accidents in crowded regions is what's referred to as a hard-braking moment.
In other words, if you come across a sudden traffic jam or a road closure that you didn’t anticipate and you need to press your brakes hard, the likelihood of an accident is significantly higher.
So what Google Maps is going to do is look into the destination you provide, find a route to it, and then determine if it includes such hard-braking zones that you should avoid. If it does, then in addition to the fastest route that it determines by default, it can also suggest an alternative route that’s safer and avoids these sudden traffic jams or junctions that could result in more accidents.
Needless to say, the safer route could be longer than the fastest route, so it could take a bit more to reach your destination. Still, on the other hand, it helps you get to the destination with a reduced likelihood of an accident.
Now, if Google Maps determines that the safest route has nearly the same ETA as the fastest one, then the application shows it as the default option, therefore trying to keep you safe as you drive to your destination.
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