Suggestion: Danger rating for roads and intersections

[Saad_AlDossary]

Hey,

I've had an idea to improve Google Maps directions. What if there was a danger rating for segments of road and/or intersections so that common accident location would be avoided. Frequent accidents in the same location maybe caused by heavy traffic or poor design. Perhaps if Google had access to accidents data, they could possibly implement this.

I've started Google Maps Help Forum discussion but there is no response or interaction.

[ShafiulB]

@Saad_AlDossary HI... thanks for your feedback

I think your idea is very helpful for all .. 

if LG team want its not possible ,,,  

[Saad_AlDossary]

@Corrie Would something like this be possible?

[Corrie · Accepted solution]

@Saad_AlDossary A really interesting idea. Will pass it along to the product team. 

[FaridTDF]

Hola, complemento un poquito la idea de @Saad_AlDossary, "Waze" es de Google y ya lee información de allí para complementar algo de los mapas de GM, en todo caso sería interesante que utilice más en tiempo real la info que permanentemente te está dando del tráfico Waze, también en GM, como en este caso un accidente, que si se detectó alguno Waze te lo indica y si tiene fotos te la muestra.

Yo generalmente cuando viajo por lugares que no conozco largo las dos aplicaciones la de Google Maps para ir de un lugar a otro y Waze para que me de información en tiempo real de la ruta, pasó de una a la otra de acuerdo a las necesidades.

[prasunkumarb]

Great idea. In India, by the side of the roads or highways, one board is fixed to inform that such place or area is an "Accident Prone Zone". Google can utilise these boards or areas.

[EhsanD]

@Saad_AlDossary

This is great idea.

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@SaadA wrote:

Hey,

I've had an idea to improve Google Maps directions. What if there was a danger rating for segments of road and/or intersections so that common accident location would be avoided. Frequent accidents in the same location maybe caused by heavy traffic or poor design. Perhaps if Google had access to accidents data, they could possibly implement this.

I've started Google Maps Help Forum discussion but there is no response or interaction.

---

Google is a US-based company and in the US, as far as I know and also worked, Geocoded roadway fatal accidents (or technically traffic crashes) are available since 1994 on the FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) database.

Data is publicly available and researchers/users can make queries: here

For example I made a query for 2015 roadway fatal accidents; there were in total 32,166 fatal accidents on entire US roadways (including intersections) which in total 48,902 vehicles were involved in all of them.Fatal Accidents (2015) [US Total = 32,166]

Fatal Accidents (2015) in Washington DC Area

Actually, this is interesting that FARS which is part of NHTSA (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government) is using Google Maps as the platform to visualize the geocoded accidents thus I believe Google can have access to fatal accidents easily in the US. I think for fatal accidents, there are similar cases in some other countries (for example the UK, Germany, Japan and etc.).

But for injury-level accidents (minor and major injuries) and also property-damage-only (PDO) accidents, there are not such public and easily accessible and available data (especially geocoded) [as far as I know] but state agencies (such as State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)) have these information in pretty good conditions for several years. I have worked on some projects in Maryland state and they have had shapefiles of accidents in all severity levels (from PDO to fatal) geocoded but I am not sure whether they are interested to share these information with Google for free or without some concerns.

I think Google can start the process with available data in the countries that the accident points are available for several years (for the US for fatal accidents) and then the work can be extended to cover currently unavailable accident data (type and/or availability).

This might be of your interest: @JonasKL

Cc to: @Corrie

[JonasKL]

Thank you so much @EhsanD, @Saad_AlDossary and the rest of those who share a common idea about using Google to minimise road accidents by alerting drivers if approaching accident prone danger zone. I remember last time I raised this concern but haven't yet heard from our moderators @TraciC, @Corrie to point me and others who view this as a good thing to incorporate into Maps.

Thank you so much @EhsanD

For tagging me into this post. 

Regards

JonasK

[FaridTDF]

Es muy interesante tu post @EhsanD, voy a investigar si en Argentina existe algo similar 

[EhsanD]

That's great @FaridTDF.

Please share your findings.