Google announced a solid lineup of new features headed to Google Maps this year at this week’s Google I/O. Whether it’s helping you get to your destination more safely or to help you avoid crowds, Maps has been evolving at a rapid pace and we’re here for it.
Detailed today, folks can look forward to new a behind-the-scenes navigation tool that will take “hard-braking events” into account for your routing options. Hard-braking moments, defined as incidents along a route that cause a driver to sharply decelerate, can be a leading indicator of car crash likelihood. With this in mind, Google’s system will take these events into account when showing you a particular route.
Every time you get directions in Maps, we calculate multiple route options to your destination based on several factors, like how many lanes a road has and how direct a route is. With this update, we’ll take the fastest routes and identify which one is likely to reduce your chances of encountering a hard-braking moment. We’ll automatically recommend that route if the ETA is the same or the difference is minimal.
Live View is also getting a bit of work, with richer info coming to those who are using the AR-powered tool. For example, when looking through Live View, business information can be visible on supported locations. You’ll even be able to click on businesses and open up their information. As you can see in the GIF below, more detailed street signs are placed on roads to help you know exactly where you’re headed. Google also details that if you’re traveling, Live View will tell you where you are in relation to places like your hotel. No more getting lost in NYC for me.
Google Maps has been able to show how busy a particular location is for a bit now. Coming soon is the ability to check the busyness of an entire area, as seen above in the header image. Looking for hip night life? Looking for that elusive farmer’s market? This feature will help out.
And lastly, Google is hoping to make Google Maps a more tailored experience for each user. To do so, it’ll stop showing you irrelevant locations when you open up Google Maps, based on factors like if you’re traveling or what time of day it is.
If you live in New York and open up Maps at 8 a.m. on a weekday, we’ll prominently feature nearby coffee shops — instead of dinner spots — so you can start your day with a caffeine fix. And if you’re on a weekend getaway, it’ll be easier to spot local landmarks and tourist attractions right on the map. Want more options? Tap on any place to see similar places nearby.
These are good things, coming to Google Maps soon.