The Apple Maps feature reports accidents and hazards on the road. This feature was added in the iOS 14.5 update and was first introduced in the United States and China. Now, the said feature is being rolled out in France.

Apple Maps Accident Feature

The feature was first introduced in February 2021 has been expanding these past few months. In November 2021, Apple Maps' new feature was added to Germany.

According to Consomac, the feature is a bit limited compared to the United States to comply with local laws.

In the United States and most territories, the feature can be used to report road accidents and hazards that may result in an accident. It can also report speed checks.

Consomac said that the feature is prohibited in France, but the accident and hazard reporting feature is available. Users can call up a menu while navigating and tap to begin a report, according to Apple News. 

Also Read: iPhone Offline Maps: Here's How You Can Navigate Even Without Internet Service

How the Feature Works

Apple constantly adds new features to Apple Maps that bring it on par with offerings with Goggle, but it has more privacy in mind. One popular feature Google inherited from its purchase of Waze was seeing traffic reports about accidents.

Apple users who rely on this data can switch back to Apple Maps after updating to iOS 14.5. The feature appears when navigating or is hidden after an information menu when viewing Maps.

Submitting a Report

If you wish to report something to Apple Maps, there are two options: by Siri or by interacting with the menu.

The menu is hidden while navigating, but if you tap the gray arrow in the bottom right corner of the iPhone app while navigating, a menu will pop up. When not navigating, you can choose the "i" button in the top right corner, then choose "report an issue."

Users who are driving may not want to interact with the menu. If you would like to submit a report hands-free, you can use the 'Hey Siri" command or activate Siri with a button on your steering wheel. You can tell Siri that there is a hazard on the road or that you see a speed check.

If you see a hazard in Apple Maps that is no longer there, you can tell Siri that the hazard on the road is no longer present so that the report will be updated, according to iMore.

Three Report Types

The first is Hazard. It is something that obscures the road or maybe a danger to the driver. It can be a large pothole or items on the road.

Road hazards are the most common type of issue that drivers encounter because of the variety of issues that they could present.

If you see a road hazard reported in Apple Maps, be prepared to slow down the vehicle, swerve around the object or take caution.

Next is Accident. This report shows if there are cars on the roadside that collide. You can use this report to prevent getting stuck in traffic.

Lastly is Speed Check. This option in the feature has caused controversy because it notifies you if you are near a police cruiser that is placed for speed checks. It reports if there are any police presence or radar monitors on the roadways.

Related Article: Apple iPhone Warns Users How Much Data Google Maps is Actually Collecting

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster