Apple Maps will soon let you report accidents and speed traps
Apple Maps on iOS is becoming a bit like Waze.
The new iOS 14.5 beta (via MacRumors) has a new Apple Maps feature, allowing users to report incidents on the road such as accidents, hazards, and speed checks.
The new feature is located in the swipe up menu on Maps, under "Report." MacRumors notes that tapping on one of the incident icons flags your location immediately without an additional confirmation prompt, so the feature should be used with caution.
Another way to invoke the feature is to say "Hey Siri, there's an accident." And MacRumors says, via a comment on the site's forums, that the feature also shows up on the CarPlay screen if in use.
It's unclear how many reports need to happen for the app to start displaying the incident for all users.
With incident reports, Apple is taking a cue from Google-owned Waze, which combines navigation with the ability to report incidents, as well as real-time traffic alerts. Google Maps has had incident reporting on iOS since 2019.
The feature is currently being tested in the U.S. and doesn't seem to be available elsewhere.
The iOS 14.5 beta is currently available to both developers and public beta testers, and it should become available to everyone soon.
Related Video: Our 5 favorite iOS 14 features, so far
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
