The more I read these forums the more I’m confused about the purpose of this. I suspect that some people just make up things and write them down and start some kind of myth.
So here we go, when is the right time to report a hazard, such as cars on shoulders? Every time I see one? Every time I see one AND it slows down traffic?
Let’s make an example. There are 2 routes from point A to point B. One route is longer and takes longer to travel, so the second route will be chosen by the app.
What if there are reports of 100 cars stopped on shoulder on that route? Will the app pick the first route, and not account for the fact that these hazards don’t slow down the traffic?
I am asking because I see people always talk here how their reports affect the traffic. I don’t think that’s correct. The app know how fast you’re travelling. The reason to report a hazard is to warn others so that they are safe and careful. Am I wrong?
Hazard reports have no effect on routing. Only the automated reports (coloured road segments) directly impact routing. Manual traffic reports make an automatic report more likely to trigger (although routing will be effected by slowed traffic whether or not a report us generated).
I had a situation today where a guy jumped off an overpass into traffic on a freeway and brought traffic to a grinding halt (fun story). I came into the traffic within a few minutes of when it happened. There was no type of report yet. After stopping, it asked me if I was in traffic and I said yes, and it automatically brought up the traffic report screen. After I hit SEND, it put a little traffic bullet beside the road. But the road didn’t turn red. I was able to pass within about 10 minutes once the police started directing traffic around the splattered body in the left lane, but at that point, the road was still not showing red. I guess I was the only Wazer caught in the traffic at that point.
What about the automated report from Waze? I see reports from waze only about traffic: normal, slow or complete standstill. I am almost certain because, when I wanted thank but I couldn’t. Is that mean that the only thing affect your route is the traffic? What about the accidents? when I look at the different route options I see that there are all kinds of icons on both. is police matters?
The little popups you get when you stop that show heavy traffic come from Waze and they show where the traffic speed has slowed significantly below the average…where the roads are showing red or yellow in color.
I had a Cop alert last Friday, when I got near it I said “not there” because it was just a car on the shoulder and someone hit the wrong button. As I passed it I realize it was a “discrete CHP!” :o
Holy cow it did not look like a CHP. I felt like an idiot for saying “not there”. I fumbled to remark it as a COP and almost attracted his attention swerving to mark his location again.
Every once in a while I see a car pulled over by police, or police attending to car on shoulder, and my first instinct is to report police before I realize it’s really car on shoulder.
Any chance of getting a “Police with car on shoulder” alert button? People here are ALWAYS giving a police alert when in fact it’s just some poor schmuck getting a ticket or police assisting a motorist. I have yet to see a valid police alert (although I’ve seen and reported speed traps). Technically, I can’t reply as “Not there” because the officer is there, just not a threat to cite.
To play devil’s advocate for a minute, I could argue that police on the side if the road with a car pulled over is the ONLY time you should report police. If they are hiding in the bushes well off the roadway then they are not a hazard to the driving public. All other reports only count if they directly impact the road in some way.
But seriously, both situations are probably appropriate. People want to be alerted of a possible speed trap and since you have to move over for an emergency vehicle in most places, them being on the side of the road is a bigger hazard than “car on shoulder”.
I agree with Weeezer – for NYS roads of 2 or more lanes, the Vehicle and Traffic Law (Article 26, Section 1144-a) now requires that you move out of the lane closest to a stopped emergency vehicle, if at all possible. (My sister-in-law got ticketed last fall for failure to do so, shortly after the law went into effect. ;)) Thus, a police officer giving a ticket on the shoulder is a hazard worthy of reporting, since it will require the driver to take evasive action.
While it might be nice to have a “stopped emergency vehicle on shoulder” hazard to report, the number of hazard options available has to be limited in order to keep things from getting too complicated. Besides, the flashing red/blue lights on the side of the road ahead are usually a good enough indicator that there’s a reason to change lanes … no need to keep your eyes on your smartphone while you’re driving.
Hawaii has JUST passed a statute regarding changing lanes for stopped emergency vehicle. It took a death of a police officer to bring about that law. Good reason to make a police alert.
A lot of states now have a “Move Over and/or Slow Down for Stopped Emergency Vehicles” law… Some even include maintenance (DOT) vehicles too… But I’m not sure it needs to be reported as “Police” instead of “Car Stopped on Shoulder”… I think “Police (Visible/Hidden)” should be used more for speed traps…
That’s what I thought as well. But in light of points brought up by Weeezer and Spil, I would say labeling it as “Hidden” implies the speed trap, whereas “Visible” alerts motorists to the stopped Police car.
IMHO a cop on the side of the road with someone pulled over is still a cop. Just because he has pulled someone over doesn’t mean he can’t have finished writing the ticket and come after you if you blow by him speeding.
How did he measure your speed while writing the ticket? Our cops aren’t that capable of multitasking and can’t write tickets for “assuming that you might have passed them too fast”.
