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Waze Helps the U.S. Police Deal With Traffic Problems Caused by Heavy Construction

While Google currently owns two separate navigation apps, namely Google Maps and Waze, the latter excels at providing drivers with real-time information on traffic conditions.
Waze showing the construction warnings in the app 7 photos
Photo: Waze
Waze on CarPlayWaze on CarPlayWaze on CarPlayWaze on CarPlayWaze on CarPlayWaze on CarPlay
And it’s all thanks to a mix of new-generation capabilities, including user reports and map edits made by volunteers from all over the world.

But at the same time, Waze is also working together with authorities as part of an effort called Waze for Cities and whose purpose is to let them provide drivers with up-to-date traffic data right within the app.

In other words, authorities themselves can update Waze with real-time reports and therefore help the app provide the best route for those driving in a specific region.

In the United States, Sandy Springs officials have recently joined forces with Waze to enter this program and deal with a massive traffic nightmare happening on the Abernathy Road. Due to heavy construction in the region, people who drive on GA-400 or I-285 and want to go on Abernathy Road end up confused by an army of traffic signs warning of the road closures.

This is why the local police department decided to update Waze with up-to-date traffic information on its own, hoping drivers would run the app and therefore figure out which way to go much more conveniently.

The partnership only concerns Waze, so those running Google Maps wouldn’t be provided with the updated road closures.

Indeed, at the time of writing, Waze already marks the location of the heavy construction on the map (as you can see in the screenshot here), whereas Google Maps isn’t aware of any traffic restriction in the region.

Waze is available on both iPhone and Android, and at the same time, it can also run on Android Auto and CarPlay if the vehicle is equipped with a compatible head unit. The app receives updates regularly, so make sure you are running the latest version regardless of the platform you use.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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