The world be a better place if everybody used waze

[Polymathic]

I used Waze for the 1st time on Friday going to the airport it had alerted me of 2 obstructions one an object on the road and the other a stationary vehicle and off the record it also alerted me off cops trapping on my way back home. if more people use this app and report hazards it will make driving so much better

 

[princeradebe]

I agree, I still use it but only one issue I have with it... I can't report traffic lights being out of order.

 

[Tacet]

I stopped using Waze after one of the updates took away the ability to let it only access the GPS while actually being used. Unless I'm simply missing something, it always has access to GPS irrespective of whether it is open or not. iOS.

 

[Arthur]

Nah, Here Drive is better.

 

[OMB]

I love waze, have been using it for a couple of months, I do feel it could help with more reporting options like traffic lights that are out (probably not as big an issue in the rest of the world )

My main gripe though is that my phone (S4) gets incredibly hot when using it (found the same on my Note 2), way hotter than I ever noticed using google maps or here

 

[ToxicBunny]

Waze is a great product, except for the way that it annihilates any battery in short order.

 

[cyberbob1979]

I used Waze and reported stuff all the time which was great... but there was a bad traffic jam in Rosebank so it diverted me to back streets... all was good and well until I had to cross over Jan Smuts in peak hour traffic from a side road because it thought that would be a good idea... - spent about 20 minutes trying to get across... stopped using it - only use Google maps now, and I'm happy with where Google takes me, no more "back roads that cross a main road that you can't get across...

 

[mercurial]

Google owns Waze. Aren't they pulling that data through to Google Maps?

 

[ColinR]

Google owns Waze. Aren't they pulling that data through to Google Maps?

Yup; little need to use Waze

 

[sand_man]

I stopped using Waze after one of the updates took away the ability to let it only access the GPS while actually being used. Unless I'm simply missing something, it always has access to GPS irrespective of whether it is open or not. iOS.

Settings>General>Background App Refresh>Waze... toggle to off... done...

 

[ngwe23]

I used Waze and reported stuff all the time which was great... but there was a bad traffic jam in Rosebank so it diverted me to back streets... all was good and well until I had to cross over Jan Smuts in peak hour traffic from a side road because it thought that would be a good idea... - spent about 20 minutes trying to get across... stopped using it - only use Google maps now, and I'm happy with where Google takes me, no more "back roads that cross a main road that you can't get across...

Google and Waze use the same data, you didn't really solve your 'problem'.

 

[The_MAC]

I used Waze for the 1st time on Friday going to the airport it had alerted me of 2 obstructions one an object on the road and the other a stationary vehicle and off the record it also alerted me off cops trapping on my way back home. if more people use this app and report hazards it will make driving so much better

No it would not! People should be concentrating on the road and not reporting on every single car stuck in the shoulder lane..

Until they figure out a way of reporting hazards without having to handle your phone, the app is the biggest hazard.

But for the record, the few years before I used it, it does work very well, when its not crashing..

 

[mister]

Nah, Here Drive is better.

Why is it better?

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

does it chow data?

as that might be a problem for some without contract phones;

 

[Tacet]

Settings>General>Background App Refresh>Waze... toggle to off... done...

Will try that, thanks!

 

[Neo_X]

Google and Waze use the same data, you didn't really solve your 'problem'.

on that note - where does Waze obtain most of its data? manually entered by road-users?

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

If everyone used Google Maps for every journey and actually followed it instead of "I know better" it could route traffic much more efficiently and a lot of traffic problems would be solved.

 

[SauRoNZA]

on that note - where does Waze obtain most of its data? manually entered by road-users?

I know you can specifically go and edit maps and stuff and then it crowd sources the most correct options or the ones more people agree on.

When they were in Beta I mapped a lot of stuff in Cape Town that wasn't on at all etc.

However I don't know if that's where "most" of it comes from, especially now that Google owns them.

 

[Neo_X]

I know you can specifically go and edit maps and stuff and then it crowd sources the most correct options or the ones more people agree on.

When they were in Beta I mapped a lot of stuff in Cape Town that wasn't on at all etc.

However I don't know if that's where "most" of it comes from, especially now that Google owns them.

yes the maps part i understand.

but the real mystery for me - how exactly does google/waze "know" that there is a traffic congestion 1500meters ahead?

i'm starting to think they are using location/speed tracking - as that is the only way i can think it gets so accurate?

i use google maps quite often while travelling on the Gauteng highways, and mostly google maps is accurate to a 100meter of traffic starting.

really mind boggling.

 

[isie]

yes the maps part i understand.

but the real mystery for me - how exactly does google/waze "know" that there is a traffic congestion 1500meters ahead?

i'm starting to think they are using location/speed tracking - as that is the only way i can think it gets so accurate?

i use google maps quite often while travelling on the Gauteng highways, and mostly google maps is accurate to a 100meter of traffic starting.

really mind boggling.

Crowd sourcing - More active users the more accurate data. It tracks your speed and driving routes etc.

Say I go pass at 8AM at a constant speed no problem. a few other users go pass same place but at gradually slower and slower speeds by the time you get there traffic - next guy will get a notification traffic congestion expected in 1.5 KM.