Traffic navigation app Waze has announced a new feature that will provide alerts to users approaching a railroad crossing.
“As we are seeing Waze users making a return to the road following the Covid-19 outbreak, this unique feature will help put drivers’ safety first by highlighting the potential risks associated with driving over railroad crossings,” the company said.
Available now globally, local Waze map editors have played an important role in incorporating railroad crossings to the map in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the UK, Italy, Israel, Brazil, Colombia, Belgium, Poland, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, New Zealand, Netherlands and Ireland.
The new feature will automatically alert drivers using the latest version of Waze on Android or iOS that they are approaching a railroad crossing. A banner will appear on the Waze app highlighting the crossing and encouraging the driver to approach with caution.
“The Railroad Crossing feature is a result of a cross-industry, cross-sector collaboration, both internally within Waze and the community, working together to help fellow drivers map out all highway-railroad intersections,” said Dani Simons, head of public sector partnerships at Waze.
“This feature exemplifies Waze’s commitment to building for its driving app, being the first to implement features and emphasizes our focus on safety.”
