Apple Maps Incorporates HAAS Safety Cloud to Improve Roadway Hazard Alerts

[MacRumors]

Apple's Maps app in the United States has incorporated real-time roadway hazard information from HAAS Alert Safety Cloud, making the app better at notifying users of upcoming safety issues.

According to a blog post announcing the integration, HAAS Safety Cloud is the "most comprehensive and trusted digital alerting platform for roadway safety."

Drivers that are approaching emergency vehicles, incident responders, work zones, and other hazards on the road sourced by Safety Cloud will now receive an alert in Apple Maps. Digital alerts about upcoming hazards in the road improve driver safety and can reduce the risk of crashes.

HAAS Alert's SVP of Connected Vehicle, Jeremy Agulnek, said that the company applauds "Apple for prioritizing driver safety and taking steps towards achieving the Vision Zero goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries."

The Maps app has had safety alerts about upcoming road hazards for some time now, but the addition of information from the HAAS Safety Cloud will make the alerts more comprehensive.

(Thanks, Jordan!)

Article Link: Apple Maps Incorporates HAAS Safety Cloud to Improve Roadway Hazard Alerts

 

[HappyDude20]

This seems awesome.
How can I test it?

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

It certainly haas potential 😎

 

[jgreg728]

Nice! I’ll take any positive update to Apple Maps that I can get! I feel like Maps has become way more frustrating to use since iOS 15.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Is this better than Waze?

 

[jntdroid]

Is this better than Waze?

Waze is great until it isn't. Honestly I would take Apple Maps over Waze probably 70% of the time for my usage. Google is still the best IMO. Waze has too often taken us out of the way just to save 2 minutes that ends up being wrong anyway. I live in the DFW metroplex, so there's plenty of data. It's almost like it's trying too hard with all of the data it has for our area... 🤷‍♂️

 

[gmanist1000]

This is cool, but does it work WITHOUT navigating? In Waze, I can just have the app open, and the alerts come through... no navigation route needed.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This is a great addition. Safety first! Waiting for a day when Waze partners up with Apple Maps.

 

[CheesePuff]

This is a great addition. Safety first! Waiting for a day when Waze partners up with Apple Maps.

Waze is owned by Google so you'll be waiting a long, long time...

 

[Graphikos]

Waze is great until it isn't. Honestly I would take Apple Maps over Waze probably 70% of the time for my usage. Google is still the best IMO. Waze has too often taken us out of the way just to save 2 minutes that ends up being wrong anyway. I live in the DFW metroplex, so there's plenty of data. It's almost like it's trying too hard with all of the data it has for our area... 🤷‍♂️

This is a great addition. Safety first! Waiting for a day when Waze partners up with Apple Maps.

Google owns Waze so not sure why the navigation would be worse than Google and I don't see them ever partnering with Apple.

 

[ignatius345]

Now that I'm driving a ton more, my one beef with incident reports in Apple Maps is that they throw out a request for confirmation (ie: is the hazard still there), but that confirmation dialog ("still here" or "cleared") expires before I even reach the hazard location.

 

[siddavis]

I love most things about Apple Maps now, except the notifications. I thought this was going to be a big shift/push from Apple when they released iOS 14.5, but it has been an afterthought. Maaaaayyybe this will drive better alerts (pun intended)

 

[0924487]

Traffic cams, speed traps and cop ambushes?

 

[ignatius345]

This is cool, but does it work WITHOUT navigating? In Waze, I can just have the app open, and the alerts come through... no navigation route needed.

That would be nice. I often input my destination and let Maps run even though I don't need directions. I leave the voice prompts set to "hazard only" so I get warnings about stuff. It's also handy to see my ETA or see if traffic is piling up somewhere.

 

[jntdroid]

Google owns Waze so not sure why the navigation would be worse than Google and I don't see them ever partnering with Apple.

I'm sure the underlying data is the same, but it's the output, or what they're trying to communicate to the end user, that differs. Waze tries to micro-manage, Google gives you a bit broader view of things.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

This seems awesome.
How can I test it?

Cause an accident? 😛

 

[JosephAW]

As long as it doesn’t distract me from driving and make a sound where I have to look down off the road to read it.

 

[PhoenixDown]

Traffic cams, speed traps and cop ambushes?

I think they added alerts when there's a cop seen hiding out but so far nothing on speed or red light cams.

 

[hortod1]

This HAAS been long time coming

 

[44267547]

Living in Detroit, this is a necessity feature on some of the busiest roadways in the U.S.

 

[blueeyes2die4]

I think they added alerts when there's a cop seen hiding out but so far nothing on speed or red light cams.

There is red light camera alerts here in Tx. I am not sure about other locations though.

 

[CarlJ]

... I often input my destination and let Maps run even though I don't need directions. I leave the voice prompts set to "hazard only" so I get warnings about stuff. It's also handy to see my ETA or see if traffic is piling up somewhere.

I do this too. I really wish Apple would add the ability to have Maps follow your current position (and point out hazards and such) without having to enter a destination.

 

[uptownnyc]

Apple Maps needs an offline mode. Like fully offline, downloaded to the device maps - not "we cached it when you started driving" mode.

 

[AstroRob]

Is there any way to disable these traffic condition popups in Maps? They already exist, but maybe the aren't as reliable as they will with this feature?

I live in LA, so there are ALWAYS road conditions, and I find it horribly distracting for Maps to pop up a warning about some suspected hazard, asking me to confirm if it's still there while distracting me from the driving and hiding the navigation for 10 sec.

 

[TinyMito]

This seems awesome.
How can I test it?

Already tested it on the road today. Siri just prompt me alert Hazard on the highway and I have the option to click "Cleared" or "Still there". Don't remember the exact words but gave me two buttons.