TfL joins Waze for Cities to deliver safety messages to drivers

Transport for London (TfL) has joined the Waze for Cities network to deliver safety messages directly to drivers and motorcyclists via a new alert.

Waze for Cities Safety Messages enables Waze partners in cities and departments for transportation to leverage timely, relevant, and hyperlocal in-app user communications to promote road safety, according to Waze.

The safety messages appear to drivers when they have been stationary for more than 10 seconds and disappear when the vehicle moves.

TfL said it joined the network to use the new feature to help encourage safe driving. Waze features include navigation and hazard alerts with Google Assistant, lane guidance and railroad crossing and speeding alerts.

Rikesh Shah, head of commercial innovation at TfL, said: "We are committed to making London’s streets as safe as possible, and we welcome this innovation from Waze to help make drivers, motorcyclists and moped riders more aware of potential risk and collision hotspots across our city.

“Technology like this can help us eliminate deaths and serious injuries from London’s roads and shows how public transport authorities can work with tech companies to make roads safer for all."

In 2019, it was announced that Waze would support smart routing at the launch of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). 

The launch of the new feature coincides with UN Road Safety Week.

Waze said it has joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Streets for Life initiative and has signed an open letter supporting the reducing, design, and enforcement of safer speeds - including prioritising low speed streets in all residential areas and near schools.

Andrew Stober, head of public partnerships and carpool at Waze, said: “Providing safe driving reminders aligned with our public sector partners’ safety priorities is just one way we hope to contribute to making roads safer for everyone.”