Ford has new Waze to beat police
Ford drivers can potentially avoid police more effectively with the help of a controversial navigation app that’s being backed by the Blue Oval.
Modern Ford vehicles equipped with the brand’s Sync 3 v3.0 infotainment system now support Waze, a popular app promising to help users ‘‘avoid police, construction, traffic and more’’.
The system is standard on the New Zealand and Australian-market 2018 Ranger, Everest and Mustang models. If customers have an earlier version of Sync, it can be upgraded via their ‘‘owners page’’.
Functioning in a similar fashion to Google Maps, the Waze app warns drivers of road works and heavy traffic that could delay their journey. It also allows users to report police activity such as radar traps or random breath testing sites, warning them to pay attention to their surroundings.
While Waze is not a new app, Ford is the first manufacturer to encourage its use on the main touchscreen in new cars.
George Christopoulos, senior applications engineer for infotainment at Ford, says the manufacturer’s goal was to use voice-activated features and the main screen ‘‘to make it as easy as possible for people to access the smartphone features, apps and services they care about most in the car, without having to pick up their device’’.
‘‘With Waze, our customers get the benefits they’re accustomed to with the added luxury of experiencing them on a bigger screen,’’ he said.
The controversial app gives users options for reporting police that are well-sighted, hidden or on the other side of the road.
One Aussie driver gave the app a five-star review on Apple’s iTunes store because it ‘‘warned me the police were doing an RBT’’, while another on Waze’s user forums requested a specific function to warn drivers of mobile drug testing sites.
Waze could receive a boost in popularity in the second half of the year when Apple updates the operating system used by popular iPhone handsets.
The next-generation iOS will allow drivers with Apple CarPlay functions in modern cars to use Waze or Google Maps instead of Apple Maps.