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What do others think about the safety of using Waze? One thing that I have noticed is that the app encourages me to interact with it as I'm driving in order to

What do others think about the safety of using Waze? One thing that I have noticed is that the app encourages me to interact with it as I'm driving in order to add data to the system. It's a little hypocritical of me to complain about this because sometimes I text or check email while driving, which I know I should not do, but it still feels weird that Waze actually encourages me to read the screen and interact with UI while I drive. I wonder if there are any liability issues around this or if the core UI will change as a result of the acquisition. Also, I wonder if Waze will become irrelevant if Google happens to productize self-driving cars (which can presumably talk to each other).

MetaCosm 13y ago
Sure, might be a bit hypocritical but i get your point. Most of the noise that comes from Waze is when it detects you aren't moving. That said there is the light social encouragement if you see a something (something in road) to put it on the map, or confirm / deny it. I can personally say the pothole and "thing on the road" warnings might have saved me from damaging my car a few times, maybe even helped me avoid an accident (a mattress was on the highway, yikes).
- georgemcbay 13y ago
  In my experience, Google Nav already does a wonderful job of noticing and routing people around "not moving" without Waze, so I'm not sure what the acquisition is about if not for the feedback channels which I do think are unsafe if not explicitly illegal to actually use in a lot of places unless you are a passenger and not the driver. But also, I live in Southern California where car passengers are as mythical as unicorns.
amalcon 13y ago
sometimes I text or check email while driving, which I know I should not do I don't mean to pick on you here. You are clearly aware, but it still needs to be said: Please do not email, text, or even talk on a cell phone while driving. Driving is the most dangerous task that is socially acceptable for nonprofessionals to perform. It is very irresponsible to make such a task any more difficult than it needs to be.
- bengoodger 13y ago
  IMO only when this is treated like DUI will it be taken more seriously. It sounds radical, but the activity is easily avoidable, seriously diminishes your focus and can have horrible consequences.
  - a-priori 13y ago
    It's already illegal to use a cell phone while driving in Ontario, Canada. Hands-free devices are still okay, however (I disagree with that part). http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving/ http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving/
    - rallison 13y ago
      I'm guessing the penalties are not anywhere similar, however, which was the parent's point. Out here in California, a DUI generally ends up costing someone ~$10,000 after all is said and done (if I remember correctly). A cell phone ticket is nowhere near that.
    - jeffasinger 13y ago
      For context, Driving while texting is already illegal in 41 of the US States, however, I believe what the parent was saying, is that the penalties need to be higher, like that associated with DUI.
    - Peaker 13y ago
      Why do you disagree with hands-free devices? What do you think about conversing with a passenger during driving?
      - PebblesRox 13y ago
        One reason I've heard is that when you're on the phone with someone, they don't know what's going on in the car whereas if you're talking with the person next to you and you suddenly need to focus all of your attention on the road, they can stop talking rather than adding to your distraction. Plus they provide a second set of eyes. I don't know how accurate and reliable that theory is, but it makes sense to me. I also wonder if the mental effort of listening to a voice coming through on a speaker would make it harder to focus. I tend to have trouble hearing people when I'm talking on the phone; but that might just be me.
yid 13y ago
I'd imagine they intend for a passenger to use the app, as for productionized self-driving cars -- I think the obsolescence of Waze is the least interesting thing about that scenario. :)
SeanKilleen 13y ago
Waze actually has several features in place to make it safer: * Waze is designed only to be used by a passenger. Any field that requires typing, etc. warns you if you're moving and makes you acknowledge that you are a passenger to continue. * Waze has a hands-free capability where you can wave your hand in front of the phone and interact with Waze via voice. It actually works pretty well. * The UI is designed with big buttons, so even if you choose to interact with Waze regularly, you can usually complete a road road report, etc. very quickly (1-2 seconds). Regarding its "encouragement". I think alerts and the fact that they're available via audio as well reduces the risk. In the end, it's up the user to configure Waze according to how safe they want to be (which, hopefully is pretty safe). (I'm a huge fan; I've been using Waze from the beginning. No attachment beyond that though)
- smackfu 13y ago
  Eh, that may be the intent, but I think they could work harder on making giant buttons for things that you are supposed to use while driving. For instance, the popup that says there is a hazard ahead, and you have tiny buttons to say it's not there or to give a thumbs up.
  - jgeorge 13y ago
    The "work harder" here is that you don't need to acknowledge pretty much any of those popups in Waze. If you leave them alone, they'll timeout and disappear automatically, you don't NEED to interact with the app while driving, I rarely touch it except to report traffic or a wreck, at which point I'm usually stopped anyway.
    - reuven 13y ago
      Same here -- I turn on Waze before I go somewhere, and then don't touch it (or really even look at it) until I arrive. I figure that the social features are meant for a passenger, or MAYBE if I'm totally stopped at a red light and/or in very heavy traffic. But the notion that I would look at my phone's screen, let alone press any buttons on it, while driving is pretty terrifying.
bdunbar 13y ago
> if Waze will become irrelevant if Google happens to productize self-driving cars How far off is widespread adoption of self-driving cars vs lifespan of a company / product? Waze may be obsolete before self-driving cars make the core function obsolete. I used Waze for the first time last week on a long drive across the mid-South. With self-driving cars on a long haul I can see the social function becoming the primary function. At least when one is _driving_ one has something to keep one's mind occupied. Passengers on a long-haul only have books, music, games, sing-alongs, naps, and other tomfoolery to keep themselves entertained.
dragonwriter 13y ago
> Also, I wonder if Waze will become irrelevant if Google happens to productize self-driving cars (which can presumably talk to each other). Eventually, probably, the front-end will become, if not irrelevant, less important. Of course, much of the back-end could be kept with incremental improvements to handle new forms of data. That's also a pretty long time horizon.
mjard 13y ago
I ride a motorcycle to work. I'm extremely vulnerable to mistakes and bad habits (my own as well as other drivers). I would really appreciate if you'd rethink your priorities as we share our commute.
rtkwe 13y ago
You can do reports by voice and reporting it is just a few clicks if you don't use voice. I think this will work well even after they get self0driving cars, even when you have self driving cars there's still a need for good traffic data.
mililani 13y ago
Definitely. I was using Waze just the other day on a trip with my wife down to Los Angeles. Fortunately, I was the passenger and guiding my wife through traffic. Two things struck me about Waze: 1) It requires a lot of attention to use. 2) It's not that accurate. I mean, I figured it would be collecting data from Waze users and marking the roads with heavy traffic. But, that wasn't really the case. It DID mark some roads with traffic, but it wasn't accurate at all. Most of the accuracy came from people self reporting traffic data, and that was a cumbersome task. I don't recommend people doing it while driving.
- mikeash 13y ago
  What about it requires a lot of attention to use? I use it daily and it's set-and-forget for the most part.
  - mililani 13y ago
    Are you serious? You don't think fumbling around trying to tell people where hazards, traffic, police, bla blah is an attention getting process? What about the whole reward nonsense like giving people the thumbs up. Or, what about when you're warned of a hazard and then asked to verify if it's still there or not. I honestly can't see how a driver can do all that and not have their attention to the road/driving impeded.
    - lttlrck 13y ago
      Exactly. If Google jerk up Maps on IOS with that noise I'll be back to Apple Maps in no time.
    - mikeash 13y ago
      You don't actually have to do any of that to use the app.
      - rdouble 13y ago
        A lot of other people need to be doing it, though. Without the crowdsourced info there's no point in using it instead of Google Maps.
return0 13y ago
Maybe it will be integrated with the upcoming Google Dashboard(tm)
dakimov 13y ago
I think in a proper world Waze would be banned because of its insane idea of encouraging drivers to socially interact during driving. Certainly it is not safe. Waze has been generally exploiting people's stupidity, people's keen desire for free crap, and corporate dementia. This is how you do things: by exploiting shortcomings of this world.
wizzard 13y ago
I found that most of the time it's prompting you when you're stuck in a traffic jam. It auto-detects that and asks you why you slowed down. Since I was already slowed to a crawl, interacting with it (via voice or tapping a button) wasn't much to ask. It's not like it prompts you every half mile with "how's it going?" or something inane.
TheFullStack 13y ago
As a long time user of Waze, I have begun to notice that their ads are becoming increasingly annoying and distracting. For example, it will give me a pop up covering the screen asking me if I want to go to Taco Bell. While I am a huge fan of Waze, by deviating too far from being just a GPS makes it a bit frustrating at times. If they are looking to monetize the platform, there are surely other ways besides covering up the map!
6ren 13y ago
google glass

MetaCosm 13y ago

Sure, might be a bit hypocritical but i get your point. Most of the noise that comes from Waze is when it detects you aren't moving. That said there is the light social encouragement if you see a something (something in road) to put it on the map, or confirm / deny it. I can personally say the pothole and "thing on the road" warnings might have saved me from damaging my car a few times, maybe even helped me avoid an accident (a mattress was on the highway, yikes).

georgemcbay 13y ago
In my experience, Google Nav already does a wonderful job of noticing and routing people around "not moving" without Waze, so I'm not sure what the acquisition is about if not for the feedback channels which I do think are unsafe if not explicitly illegal to actually use in a lot of places unless you are a passenger and not the driver. But also, I live in Southern California where car passengers are as mythical as unicorns.

amalcon 13y ago

sometimes I text or check email while driving, which I know I should not do I don't mean to pick on you here. You are clearly aware, but it still needs to be said: Please do not email, text, or even talk on a cell phone while driving. Driving is the most dangerous task that is socially acceptable for nonprofessionals to perform. It is very irresponsible to make such a task any more difficult than it needs to be.

bengoodger 13y ago
IMO only when this is treated like DUI will it be taken more seriously. It sounds radical, but the activity is easily avoidable, seriously diminishes your focus and can have horrible consequences.
- a-priori 13y ago
  It's already illegal to use a cell phone while driving in Ontario, Canada. Hands-free devices are still okay, however (I disagree with that part). http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving/ http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving/
  - rallison 13y ago
    I'm guessing the penalties are not anywhere similar, however, which was the parent's point. Out here in California, a DUI generally ends up costing someone ~$10,000 after all is said and done (if I remember correctly). A cell phone ticket is nowhere near that.
  - jeffasinger 13y ago
    For context, Driving while texting is already illegal in 41 of the US States, however, I believe what the parent was saying, is that the penalties need to be higher, like that associated with DUI.
  - Peaker 13y ago
    Why do you disagree with hands-free devices? What do you think about conversing with a passenger during driving?
    - PebblesRox 13y ago
      One reason I've heard is that when you're on the phone with someone, they don't know what's going on in the car whereas if you're talking with the person next to you and you suddenly need to focus all of your attention on the road, they can stop talking rather than adding to your distraction. Plus they provide a second set of eyes. I don't know how accurate and reliable that theory is, but it makes sense to me. I also wonder if the mental effort of listening to a voice coming through on a speaker would make it harder to focus. I tend to have trouble hearing people when I'm talking on the phone; but that might just be me.

yid 13y ago

I'd imagine they intend for a passenger to use the app, as for productionized self-driving cars -- I think the obsolescence of Waze is the least interesting thing about that scenario. :)

SeanKilleen 13y ago

Waze actually has several features in place to make it safer: * Waze is designed only to be used by a passenger. Any field that requires typing, etc. warns you if you're moving and makes you acknowledge that you are a passenger to continue. * Waze has a hands-free capability where you can wave your hand in front of the phone and interact with Waze via voice. It actually works pretty well. * The UI is designed with big buttons, so even if you choose to interact with Waze regularly, you can usually complete a road road report, etc. very quickly (1-2 seconds). Regarding its "encouragement". I think alerts and the fact that they're available via audio as well reduces the risk. In the end, it's up the user to configure Waze according to how safe they want to be (which, hopefully is pretty safe). (I'm a huge fan; I've been using Waze from the beginning. No attachment beyond that though)

smackfu 13y ago
Eh, that may be the intent, but I think they could work harder on making giant buttons for things that you are supposed to use while driving. For instance, the popup that says there is a hazard ahead, and you have tiny buttons to say it's not there or to give a thumbs up.
- jgeorge 13y ago
  The "work harder" here is that you don't need to acknowledge pretty much any of those popups in Waze. If you leave them alone, they'll timeout and disappear automatically, you don't NEED to interact with the app while driving, I rarely touch it except to report traffic or a wreck, at which point I'm usually stopped anyway.
  - reuven 13y ago
    Same here -- I turn on Waze before I go somewhere, and then don't touch it (or really even look at it) until I arrive. I figure that the social features are meant for a passenger, or MAYBE if I'm totally stopped at a red light and/or in very heavy traffic. But the notion that I would look at my phone's screen, let alone press any buttons on it, while driving is pretty terrifying.

bdunbar 13y ago

> if Waze will become irrelevant if Google happens to productize self-driving cars How far off is widespread adoption of self-driving cars vs lifespan of a company / product? Waze may be obsolete before self-driving cars make the core function obsolete. I used Waze for the first time last week on a long drive across the mid-South. With self-driving cars on a long haul I can see the social function becoming the primary function. At least when one is _driving_ one has something to keep one's mind occupied. Passengers on a long-haul only have books, music, games, sing-alongs, naps, and other tomfoolery to keep themselves entertained.

dragonwriter 13y ago

> Also, I wonder if Waze will become irrelevant if Google happens to productize self-driving cars (which can presumably talk to each other). Eventually, probably, the front-end will become, if not irrelevant, less important. Of course, much of the back-end could be kept with incremental improvements to handle new forms of data. That's also a pretty long time horizon.

mjard 13y ago

I ride a motorcycle to work. I'm extremely vulnerable to mistakes and bad habits (my own as well as other drivers). I would really appreciate if you'd rethink your priorities as we share our commute.

rtkwe 13y ago

You can do reports by voice and reporting it is just a few clicks if you don't use voice. I think this will work well even after they get self0driving cars, even when you have self driving cars there's still a need for good traffic data.

mililani 13y ago

Definitely. I was using Waze just the other day on a trip with my wife down to Los Angeles. Fortunately, I was the passenger and guiding my wife through traffic. Two things struck me about Waze: 1) It requires a lot of attention to use. 2) It's not that accurate. I mean, I figured it would be collecting data from Waze users and marking the roads with heavy traffic. But, that wasn't really the case. It DID mark some roads with traffic, but it wasn't accurate at all. Most of the accuracy came from people self reporting traffic data, and that was a cumbersome task. I don't recommend people doing it while driving.

mikeash 13y ago
What about it requires a lot of attention to use? I use it daily and it's set-and-forget for the most part.
- mililani 13y ago
  Are you serious? You don't think fumbling around trying to tell people where hazards, traffic, police, bla blah is an attention getting process? What about the whole reward nonsense like giving people the thumbs up. Or, what about when you're warned of a hazard and then asked to verify if it's still there or not. I honestly can't see how a driver can do all that and not have their attention to the road/driving impeded.
  - lttlrck 13y ago
    Exactly. If Google jerk up Maps on IOS with that noise I'll be back to Apple Maps in no time.
  - mikeash 13y ago
    You don't actually have to do any of that to use the app.
    - rdouble 13y ago
      A lot of other people need to be doing it, though. Without the crowdsourced info there's no point in using it instead of Google Maps.

return0 13y ago

Maybe it will be integrated with the upcoming Google Dashboard(tm)

dakimov 13y ago

I think in a proper world Waze would be banned because of its insane idea of encouraging drivers to socially interact during driving. Certainly it is not safe. Waze has been generally exploiting people's stupidity, people's keen desire for free crap, and corporate dementia. This is how you do things: by exploiting shortcomings of this world.

wizzard 13y ago

I found that most of the time it's prompting you when you're stuck in a traffic jam. It auto-detects that and asks you why you slowed down. Since I was already slowed to a crawl, interacting with it (via voice or tapping a button) wasn't much to ask. It's not like it prompts you every half mile with "how's it going?" or something inane.

TheFullStack 13y ago

As a long time user of Waze, I have begun to notice that their ads are becoming increasingly annoying and distracting. For example, it will give me a pop up covering the screen asking me if I want to go to Taco Bell. While I am a huge fan of Waze, by deviating too far from being just a GPS makes it a bit frustrating at times. If they are looking to monetize the platform, there are surely other ways besides covering up the map!

6ren 13y ago

google glass