Google is implementing a number of quality-of-life enhancements that are expected to significantly simplify the process of reporting incidents in Google Maps. The “speed trap” option in Maps was renamed earlier this week to a more general “police” icon, which encompasses a broader range of police activity that can be observed on the roadways. Nevertheless, the police button was still situated at the bottom of the incident reporting options, necessitating that drivers scroll down their displays while operating a vehicle in order to report police activity.
Currently, the list of incident reporting options has been altered by an update to Google Maps on Android Auto, as reported by 9to5Google. The most critical alternatives, “crash” and “slowdown,” remain at the forefront. Nevertheless, the “police” option has been updated and is now located directly beneath those two icons. Other alternatives, such as “construction,” are relocated to a lower position.
One of the primary reasons individuals utilize navigation applications such as Apple Maps, Waze, and Google Maps is to remain informed about the events that occur on the road. These incident reports assist drivers in knowing when to anticipate a crash or a slowdown, prevent a ticket by applying the brakes, or drive more cautiously in a construction zone. However, this functionality may generate new complications if it necessitates drivers to divert their attention from the road to navigate through a list of options when submitting an incident report in Google Maps on Android Auto.
At least anecdotally, speed traps seem to be among the most frequently reported categories of incident reports on navigation apps. This modification will not resolve Google Maps’ issues on all screens, as Android Auto displays have varying sizes and aspect ratios. However, it should simplify the process for the majority of users to report policy activity in the app.
9 to 5 Google indicates that this modification appears to be a component of a server-side update that does not necessitate the updating of Google Maps or Android Auto. The modification may also be applicable to the Google Maps application on Apple CarPlay.
