So I logged in to the map editor and had a wrong driving direction in my editable area. I’m a newbie so I’m not sure what I should do. According to the provided route and user drive it looks fine. I’m not sure what’s wrong with it, but don’t know if I should do anything with it.
As a newbie, am I expected to help out? I’ve asked the logger for more info, but that’s it. I’d really like to help out where I can, as I think this system is fantastic, but don’t want to overstep my bounds.
Hi John, and welcome to Waze!
The first part is to try to understand the reason for the wrong driving direction. There can be a number of possible groups of reasons:
Sometimes the actually location is provided by Google Location Services, and Waze attempts to route to the nearest street address. If the location being navigated to is something like a factory/office at the back of an industrial/business park, and the nearest street is a street around the back.
The best thing to do is to map the business/address or whatever, and add parking lot roads (PLRs) or private roads to allow navigation to it. You may need assistance from the community to actually connect the roads. Just ask for an unlock/assist on the AU Unlock and Update Requests forum, and include a permalink to the segment(s) in question as well as an explanation of what you are trying to do.
Often times Waze will do what it is programmed to do, and attempt to route the driver around real/historic congestion points. This can result in some unusual navigation instructions, such as “Turn left, make a U-Turn” instead of turning right at a major intersection. Sometimes it will direct drivers down service roads.
In these situations we may be able to “massage” the map, but there often is nothing we can do. In this case it is probably best to advise the driver that this will happen from time to time, and that it is up to them to make the call as to whether they follow the suggestion, or ignore it, based on observed conditions when they are there.
A lot of urban expansion is regularly going on in the world. If you are nearby, go for a drive, and “Pave” the roads. Use the “Map Issue, Pave” feature when you are there, and add the roads to the map. When you are done, stop the Pave action in the App. Make sure you go back and add pertinent details to the roads (name, suburb are an absolute must), as much as you can get.
Sometimes the relevant Roads Authority/Council/etc will change/add turn restrictions. These can result in incorrect routing instructions. Sometimes a median strip exists in the middle of the road, preventing right turns, etc. These are not always visible on the aerial imagery.
There may be many more reasons, this is just a starting point.
If there is ever not enough information, politely request the driver to provide more info, and wait for a response.
In case you are not already aware, the Australia Wazeopedia page and the Australia Waze Wiki page are great starting points for further information.
We are all here to help each other to improve the map.
Regards,
JohnB
Hi JohnB,
Thanks for the speedy reply! I’ve taken a look at the report and I can only see a tiny section of the drive, and all seems to be ok. It’s a two way street in both directions - it’s also on a couple of segments I can’t change, but even so, I can’t figure it out.
What’s the best method for permalinking to the report so others can take a look?
In the bottom right of the Waze Map Editor (WME) there should be a little chain link icon. Hover your mouse over it, and press Ctrl-C.
Paste the URL into the forum editor. If you open the Update Request (UR), and select segments, (use Ctrl+Click to multi-select) before copying, these will also open when we click on the link.
Fantastic, thanks. I’ve just noticed that you’re taking a look at it now, so I won’t bother linking to it. Any idea what it would be so I know for next time?
I tried to send a message via Map Chat. not sure if you saw. It is best if you leave it open. Sometimes you will get guidance from senior editors to ensure that the mapping guidelines are followed, and to provide tips, etc.
The UR hasn’t provided a lot of information to work with in this case. Requesting the reporter for further information is the best thing to do at this point.
I’ve had a look around the area, but cannot see anything obvious that stands out.
Ok permalink is here for reference.
Ok, I’ll take a drive tomorrow and see what’s going on there, and just wait for any response.