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.
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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