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Apple Maps now supports real-time road alerts from emergency vehicles

Apple Maps now supports real-time alerts sourced from Safety Cloud, a digital alerting platform used by emergency responders and construction zones.

Apple's primary navigation app already supported real-time alerts from other drivers. The introduction of HAAS Alert's Safety Cloud means that Apple Maps users can now receive road hazard warnings reported by professional personnel.

HAAS Alerts are sourced from first responders, towing professional, and other emergency vehicles. When users approach one of these incident sites or vehicles, they'll receive a real-time alert on their Apple Maps.

The HAAS Alert Safety Cloud system is used by more than 1,200 public safety agencies, roadside assistance companies, towing operators, road workers, and other entities with vehicles or roadway equipment.

HAAS Alerts, although a lesser-known service among consumers, actually comes standard on many emergency vehicles manufactured by various brands. The company says its service integrates with aftermarket emergency vehicles, work zone equipment, telematics systems, and traffic management platforms.

Since the launch of Safety Cloud in 2017, the service has sent out more than 1 billion digital alerts.

"With the addition of Apple Maps as a Safety Cloud digital alerting partner, drivers using an iPhone as a travel companion will now be safer and better aware of upcoming roadway conditions. We applaud Apple for prioritizing driver safety and taking steps towards achieving the Vision Zero goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries," said Jeremy Agulnek, senior vice president of Connected Vehicles at HAAS Alert.



6 Comments

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kidrock2199 10 Years · 143 comments

This is cool. So how do we know if we have this and how do we set it up? I travel a lot for work and this would come in very handy. 

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joninsd 11 Years · 74 comments

As a Realtor who used Maps daily this is going to be awesome! 

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iOS_Guy80 5 Years · 906 comments

This is cool. So how do we know if we have this and how do we set it up? I travel a lot for work and this would come in very handy. 

Sounds like the notification from HAAS will go straight to Apple Maps and depending on where you are and what routes you have set up You will get a pop-up message automatically. Doesn’t seem like you have to do anything to set it up.

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22july2013 11 Years · 3736 comments

Is this service available in all 50 US states? Is this service available in all 10 Canadian provinces?

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darkvader 15 Years · 1146 comments

Is this service available in all 50 US states? Is this service available in all 10 Canadian provinces?

There are 17,985 police agencies in the US.  And that's just cops, it doesn't include fire departments or ambulances.  "Over 1,200" agencies doesn't even begin to give anywhere close to useful coverage.

Radar detectors have had an emergency vehicle alert mode for many years.  It's supposed to alert on a signal broadcast from emergency vehicles.  It's ALWAYS a false alarm, I've never seen it actually alert for an ambulance or fire truck.  I suppose it works somewhere, but not anywhere I've ever been.  This will be similar.