Although Google Maps is an essential app on Android Auto, that is not the only maps app available for the car; In fact, there are many users who prefer their great ‘rival’, Waze. And we put the quotes because, in reality, Waze also belongs to Google, and the company has taken advantage of this to improve Google Maps in recent months.
Many of Google Maps’ latest novelties have been taken directly from Waze, including new road notices. Waze’s great strong point has always been in Your user communitythat they warn each other of potential dangers and distractions, from traffic jams to work. The app is able to generate notifications based on this work, depending on whether we are approaching the affected road. Google Maps now also uses this network and also allows you to upload notices to other drivers.
However, that does not mean that Waze will disappear, rather the opposite. It seems that Google is using Waze as a platform for explore what is possible in the carbefore taking it to Maps. We have a good example in the latest novelty that is already arriving at Android Auto users, as they have discovered in Autoevolution.
Some Waze users are finding a new type of school notice, which indicates that we are approaching a road close to a school. Therefore, if we see this notice we must have a special caution, reduce speed, and be more attentive to both zebra crossings and possible children who get out of the road without realizing it.
Actually, a few months ago, Waze allows users to notify school zones when they pass next to one, but so far, I did not use that information to show a notification in the app. That is because the company has first had to collect the location data of the schools and user notices; The location of schools and nurseries has been recorded.
As a result, from now on, when we pass near a school, we will see a new notification in the lower left corner, with the school zone signal and the distance it is located. That icon will also appear on the map, together with an indicator of the area where caution must be taken; The icon indicates exactly the location of the school, but a circle shows the radius considered as a caution zone.
Of course, areas with schools are already marked on Spanish roads, but this is still a great help for drivers, especially in poorly marked areas. In addition, these alerts will appear only for specific hours on school days, so they will not continually warn just by spending about a school on a Sunday, for example.
