What you need to know
- Google is reportedly pushing an update for Maps on Android Auto that adds four new roadside hazards caused by the weather.
- The options include low visibility, unplowed road, flooded road, and object on road.
- Last year, Google updated the incident reporting experience in Maps on Android Auto, adding shared reports from Waze and a generalized "police" choice.
Google has reportedly pushed a quiet update for Maps, bringing a few more road safety alert options.
Android Police spotted the latest Maps alerts, involving road or roadside dangers caused by the weather. Specifically, the publication discovered four new options in Maps when reporting "incidents." Those choices are: low visibility, unplowed road, flooded road, and "object on road."
Each option deals with a particular weather occurrence, such as thick early morning fog, torrential rainfall, and the after-effects of a snowstorm. However, the "object on road" choice could help drivers point out more than just a downed tree branch following a storm. Users could use it to report items that could puncture their tire and more to keep their fellow drivers safe.
While the post points out that these four options have joined the broader "report and accident" menu on Android Auto, it's not everywhere yet. It seems as though Maps is getting this in waves, giving drivers the options first.
The post claims the reporting options haven't appeared properly on Android devices, yet users on iOS are supposedly "slowly" receiving them.
Reporting-wise, Google has dropped a couple of updates for Maps to improve the experience, like one for police. In November, Maps refined the way users could report police activity. The incident report was previously classified as "speed trap;" however, Google renamed it "police" to generalize all roadside activity. The app on Android Auto now conveniently features the "police" option at the top of the incident list, beside "crash," "slowdown," and "construction."
More importantly, Google and Waze joined forces last summer to share incident reports for drivers. The collaboration appeared more widely for drivers in December. If shared from Waze, users will see the alert appear on their in-dash display with a tag confirming where it's from. Users can "confirm" the report, giving it some street cred when others see a report of police activity or a roadside hazard.
Google hasn't forgotten its Android phones as Maps rolled out an update for weather-related delays last fall. Users traveling — at any point in time — can take advantage of how the weather could impact their travels and the city's local transit systems.
