Waze SmartPhone App

Waze, the smartphone app that maps out faster routes using traffic Data submitted by its users, is now using the City of Boston data on crashes to alert drivers of the most dangerous intersections.

As part its campaign to eliminate fatal accidents, the city of Boston partnered with Waze to let people know when they are passing through areas high rates of traffic collisions. The app warns its motorists to drive cautiously and slowly when approaching the intersections.

Waze announced the partnership on Wednesday as part of a nationwide launch of the new feature. Four other major US cities — New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. — are participating.

The initiative ties in with Vision Zero, a project undertaken by cities nationwide to eliminate fatal collisions. Boston announced its participation in Vision Zero in March.

The company is using information from crashes between cars, bikes, and pedestrians, according to Waze officials.

“This campaign takes a real-world approach to preventing traffic fatalities,” said Paige Fitzgerald, a program manager at Waze. “It’s not always realistic or feasible for drivers to entirely avoid a hazardous intersection, so education is essential to remind them to slow down and stay alert.”

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