Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Waze has started rolling out speed bump notifications on Android, iPhone, Android Auto, and CarPlay. The feature was announced in April and was supposed to land by the end of the month, albeit the first alerts are only now appearing for drivers worldwide.
Waze is a traffic navigation app that relies on crowdsourcing for real-time information on road hazards. Users can flag the location of potholes, broken traffic lights, accidents, blocked lanes, and vehicles stopped on the side of the road.
Waze uses these reports to generate alerts for other users as they approach the flagged location. Map editors add some of the warnings, such as railroad crossings.
This is also the case with speed bumps. While the rollout appears to be in the early days, as I didn't get a notification for every speed bump on my route, the feature is now gradually becoming available. It's likely to see expanded availability in the coming days as map editors pin more speed bumps on the map.
Speed bump notifications are a long overdue update that users have requested for years. Waze promised to bring speed bump alerts to the navigation app a few years ago, but the release never happened. The company confirmed in April that it'd launch speed bump warnings in Waze for users worldwide, promising to kick off the rollout by the end of the same month.
Why are speed bumps such a big thing in Waze? The answer comes down to making the road more predictable, as should be the case with every navigation app. Drivers getting an alert about a speed bump ahead get extra time to slow down, therefore reducing the likelihood of sudden braking. Furthermore, it helps drivers prevent vehicle damage, as nobody likes hitting a speed bump at a higher speed, especially if the road signage isn't visible.
The speed bump alerts landed in Waze alongside sharp curve notifications and toll booth information. They are part of a larger update announced last month, which included improving roundabout navigation and helping users use the correct lane according to their route.
The speed bump warnings appeared in Waze on CarPlay earlier today, and they are also available on my iPhone when the device is not connected to the vehicle. As I said, not all speed bumps are currently marked on Waze, so if you don't see the notifications yet, give it some time. The map editor community is working around the clock to bring this information to the application.
The app version shouldn't make a difference, but installing the latest build could help, so ensure Waze is up-to-date on your phone, regardless of the platform you use. You're more likely to see a speed bump alert in a city (where more speed bumps exist in the first place).
Waze uses these reports to generate alerts for other users as they approach the flagged location. Map editors add some of the warnings, such as railroad crossings.
This is also the case with speed bumps. While the rollout appears to be in the early days, as I didn't get a notification for every speed bump on my route, the feature is now gradually becoming available. It's likely to see expanded availability in the coming days as map editors pin more speed bumps on the map.
Speed bump notifications are a long overdue update that users have requested for years. Waze promised to bring speed bump alerts to the navigation app a few years ago, but the release never happened. The company confirmed in April that it'd launch speed bump warnings in Waze for users worldwide, promising to kick off the rollout by the end of the same month.
Why are speed bumps such a big thing in Waze? The answer comes down to making the road more predictable, as should be the case with every navigation app. Drivers getting an alert about a speed bump ahead get extra time to slow down, therefore reducing the likelihood of sudden braking. Furthermore, it helps drivers prevent vehicle damage, as nobody likes hitting a speed bump at a higher speed, especially if the road signage isn't visible.
The speed bump alerts landed in Waze alongside sharp curve notifications and toll booth information. They are part of a larger update announced last month, which included improving roundabout navigation and helping users use the correct lane according to their route.
The speed bump warnings appeared in Waze on CarPlay earlier today, and they are also available on my iPhone when the device is not connected to the vehicle. As I said, not all speed bumps are currently marked on Waze, so if you don't see the notifications yet, give it some time. The map editor community is working around the clock to bring this information to the application.
The app version shouldn't make a difference, but installing the latest build could help, so ensure Waze is up-to-date on your phone, regardless of the platform you use. You're more likely to see a speed bump alert in a city (where more speed bumps exist in the first place).
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