I know all you old-timers haven’t heard of it, but all the cool kids are using an app called Waze to get from Point A to Point B these days.
For motorcyclists, the popular “live map” program just a got a bit friendlier too, announcing today that it was adding motorcycles to its selectable vehicle types.
Don’t know what this means? Think of Waze like a social version of Google Maps. In fact, Google owns Waze and uses its data to power Google Maps’ route selector.
Unlike the users of Google Maps and the like though, Wazers (that’s the preferred nomenclature, dude) can report things to the app, like traffic jams, fuel prices, and our personal favorite: police speed traps.
These features already make Waze a powerful tool for any motorist, cars and motorcycles alike, but with Waze adding the motorcycle vehicle type, the app can integrate motorcycle-focused alerts more properly now, while also optimizing routes for two-wheeled travel.
This means that when the motorcycle vehicle type is selected things like HOV lanes will be taken into account, since most HOV lanes let motorcyclists ride in them for free.
For our lane-splitting readers too, this means Waze will be able distinguish between between riders who are splitting through traffic, and cars who are stuck in the four-wheeled gridlock. Again, giving more precise ETA times, and routes that are faster for motorcyclists.
If you’re the adventuring type, there’s even an option to include dirt roads into a route, if you feel so inclined. As Martha Stewart is fond of saying, it’s a good thing.
Source: Waze
Comments