Google times wants to help you get around a little more safely. According to the New York Times, the mapping service will soon include data from every railroad crossing in the US, in a bid to keep drivers safe.
Google will add both audio and visual cues to help alert drivers when they’re about to pass through a crossing while using turn-by-turn navigation.
Last year, accidents increased 9 percent nationally at 200,000+ railroad crossings. There were 270 deaths, up from 232 the previous year.
The crossing information will be provided via a partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration, which suggests most accidents at crossing have been the result of driver inattention.
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The FRA has also reportedly reached out to other mapping services to implement similar features, including Apple, MapQuest, TomTom and Garmin. It’s a sensible move for everyone involved, and will hopefully lead to fewer accidents overall.
➤ Agency Taps Mapping Technology to Curb Rail Crossing Accidents [NYT via Engadget]
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