Apple Maps gets crowdsourced accident, speed check and hazard warnings in iOS 14.5 beta

AppleInsider

Apple is looking to beef up its Maps service with new crowdsourced information that alerts users to accidents, speed check and road hazards.

Source: MacRumors

A new feature in the latest iOS 14.5 beta release allows the report of three types of "incidents" that will appear on the screens of other Maps users traveling through a defined area, reports MacRumors.

Accident reporting went live for beta testers this week, with Siri making an announcement highlighting the feature when embarking on a new route.

Currently, the crowdsourced data is limited to accidents, hazards and speed checks. Swiping up on the Maps details pane displays a reporting interface, from which users can select one of the three incident types. Selecting an option automatically records a device's location and adds the information to Maps' servers.

Alternatively, users can say, "Hey Siri, there's an accident." Whether the virtual assistant can also be pinged for road hazards or speed checks was left unreported.

The feature is also available via Apple's CarPlay interface.

Apple has not detailed how the system works, but it is presumed to be similar to identical crowdsourced reporting functionality already in use by services like Waze. That system relies on multiple reports and server-side aggregation, and incentivizes submissions with a points system. Waze supports a variety of notices including accidents, traffic, road closures, police, construction and more.

Apple is expected to release iOS 14.5 this spring with a host of new capabilities, the most prominent of which being App Tracking Transparency.

bulk001

Funny how it was a “feature” according to people here that it didn’t allow you to make reports, see user reported speed checkpoints etc. when I mentioned once that it was a glaring omission in the app. Will go a long way to closing the gap with GMaps. 

peacebull

@bulk001 ;This site isn’t one unified mind, it’s full of tons of different people with different ideas. 

gregoriusm

Excellent addition. Now, I still want the ability to add a stop that isn’t just restaurants and gas stations, etc. 

jpellino

Great. Now do speed limit alerts, add “via” to route, and non-route speed limit badge. 

NumNuts

It’s crazy if they’re actually calling them “accidents” as opposed to “crashes” or “collisions”. Almost all collisions are due to someone’s fault, and could have been prevented. 

genovelle

bulk001 said:

Funny how it was a “feature” according to people here that it didn’t allow you to make reports, see user reported speed checkpoints etc. when I mentioned once that it was a glaring omission in the app. Will go a long way to closing the gap with GMaps. 

I felt it was a feature because the way Waze worked when I’ve tried it was dangerous. The Siri integration changes that for me. 

AF_Hitt

NumNuts said:

It’s crazy if they’re actually calling them “accidents” as opposed to “crashes” or “collisions”. Almost all collisions are due to someone’s fault, and could have been prevented. 

What kind of mental gymnastics nonsense is this? What about the word accident make what you said invalid? If someone gets in a “collision”, as you insist it is called, it is almost certainly an accident. It may have been their fault, but that doesn’t mean someone was TRYING to hit another car or guard rail or whatever. The word accident doesn’t imply no one was at fault, it means that something that wasn’t intended to happen, happened. Get off your high horse and stop arguing over extremely idiotic semantics.

urahara

I would prefer no reporting feature for Speed Check. Because then people knowing where speed checks are can avoid them and speed at other sections of the road. This would cause more accidents on those parts of the road. 

AI_lias

Or Apple could have beaten Google in buying Waze.

seniorchief

I am running this beta but have not seen this.  I use Maps via Car Play even for my short everyday trips as it gives me a sort of accurate heads up for traffic delays and optional routes.  Actively looked for this yesterday afternoon and can not figure out how to invoke it by SIRI nor by touch...

doggone

urahara said:

I would prefer no reporting feature for Speed Check. Because then people knowing where speed checks are can avoid them and speed at other sections of the road. This would cause more accidents on those parts of the road. 

There will always be a subset of drivers who do that.  However for the majority of people it will provide a useful alert to slow down or get a ticket.  Look at it another way, if this type of alert goes out and the majority of the traffic slows down, this helps the police be more effective on regulating traffic.  
I, for one, want an alert when I go 5 mph over the speed limit.  Especially on suburban streets, the speed limit can vary greatly and it is easy to miss a sign at the beginning of a next speed limit.  Knowing what the current limit is all the time would be useful and having a warning when you go over by 5 mph will keep people on track and reduce the risk of tickets.

igorsky

AI_lias said:

Or Apple could have beaten Google in buying Waze.

But they didn't.  And now we have this feature.  And the world goes on.

darkvader

urahara said:

I would prefer no reporting feature for Speed Check. Because then people knowing where speed checks are can avoid them and speed at other sections of the road. This would cause more accidents on those parts of the road. 

I would prefer an automatic cop detection feature that would constantly monitor the position of all cops and broadcast it so that humans can avoid interacting with them.  Maybe by using a license plate recognition system and a database of cop cars so that the undercover ones can be easily tracked too.

danox

bulk001 said:

Funny how it was a “feature” according to people here that it didn’t allow you to make reports, see user reported speed checkpoints etc. when I mentioned once that it was a glaring omission in the app. Will go a long way to closing the gap with GMaps. 

It was of low priority for Apple, and most still won’t use it. Driving and screwing (inputting) with your phone at same time doesn’t work too well

danox

AI_lias said:

Or Apple could have beaten Google in buying Waze.

Waste of money, build up from within.

StrangeDays

NumNuts said:

It’s crazy if they’re actually calling them “accidents” as opposed to “crashes” or “collisions”. Almost all collisions are due to someone’s fault, and could have been prevented. 

Fault and intent are entirely different ideas. A crash may be a driver’s fault, but certainly not their intent...this “accident” is fine. 

jeffythequick

NumNuts said:

It’s crazy if they’re actually calling them “accidents” as opposed to “crashes” or “collisions”. Almost all collisions are due to someone’s fault, and could have been prevented. 

Like paying attention to your screen instead of the road.

Driving is still VFR, folks... Eyes outside the cockpi... car.

jeffythequick

danox said:

bulk001 said:

Funny how it was a “feature” according to people here that it didn’t allow you to make reports, see user reported speed checkpoints etc. when I mentioned once that it was a glaring omission in the app. Will go a long way to closing the gap with GMaps. 

It was of low priority for Apple, and most still won’t use it. Driving and screwing (inputting) with your phone at same time doesn’t work too well

I see your point, but having it in CarPlay makes more sense, as there is a consistent place for the buttons to be to push.  One thing that cracks me up is on our Honda Odyssey, the map system won't let you input directions while driving.

Folks, it is entirely possible for the passenger to input this information as well, but not on the Odyssey.

seanie248

AF_Hitt said:

NumNuts said:

It’s crazy if they’re actually calling them “accidents” as opposed to “crashes” or “collisions”. Almost all collisions are due to someone’s fault, and could have been prevented. 

What kind of mental gymnastics nonsense is this? What about the word accident make what you said invalid? If someone gets in a “collision”, as you insist it is called, it is almost certainly an accident. It may have been their fault, but that doesn’t mean someone was TRYING to hit another car or guard rail or whatever. The word accident doesn’t imply no one was at fault, it means that something that wasn’t intended to happen, happened. Get off your high horse and stop arguing over extremely idiotic semantics.

Well said AF_Hitt. 

ihatescreennames

AF_Hitt said:

NumNuts said:

It’s crazy if they’re actually calling them “accidents” as opposed to “crashes” or “collisions”. Almost all collisions are due to someone’s fault, and could have been prevented. 

What kind of mental gymnastics nonsense is this? What about the word accident make what you said invalid? If someone gets in a “collision”, as you insist it is called, it is almost certainly an accident. It may have been their fault, but that doesn’t mean someone was TRYING to hit another car or guard rail or whatever. The word accident doesn’t imply no one was at fault, it means that something that wasn’t intended to happen, happened. Get off your high horse and stop arguing over extremely idiotic semantics.

While I don’t disagree with anything you wrote here, I will point out that the person you quoted has the username “NumNuts”. Seems very fitting.