Google Maps has added a number of new tools that will allow users to report crashes, speed traps and traffic slowdowns on iOS devices, having previously introduced such features for Android ones.
Waze, another navigation application also owned by Google, has offered these features for a number of years and anyone who has used them knows how useful they can be, especially for finding an alternative route in the event of an accident.
Those using Google Maps from now on will simply need to tap on the new ‘plus’ button during navigation to make a report. Categories include a crash, speed trap, slowdown, construction, lane closure, disabled vehicle, and an object on the road.
Also Read: Google Maps Starts Showing Speed Limits, Warn About Fixed Cameras
In the past, authorities have expressed their disdain for drivers being able to report speed traps through Waze, Inc reports, as in February the New York Police Department (NYPD) demanded Google remove the feature from its app.
“The NYPD has become aware that the Waze Mobile application … currently permits the public to report DWI checkpoints … Accordingly, we demand that Google LLC, upon receipt of this letter, immediately remove this function from the Waze application,” the department wrote.
When the speed trap function started hitting Android devices earlier this year, it was only available in select cities, but it seems inevitable that, with this update, it will become more widespread.
