I’m a pretty big Waze fan and have been using it for over 10 years. Eventually, it completely replaced Google Maps in my car when using Android Auto, and I doubt I’ll ever switch again. Waze has a lot to offer for drivers, but one of the main reasons it keeps me coming back is that the hazard alerts actually reach me.

Google Maps and Waze are both pretty excellent, and in my opinion, they’re better when you use them together. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but where Waze really shines is navigation instructions, directions, avoiding traffic, and its consistent hazard alerts and notifications.

With Waze, I actually get all the important alerts

Consistency is key

It’s no secret that these two apps share a lot of similarities, and that’s because Google has owned Waze since 2013. Over the last decade-plus, Google has slowly added many of Waze’s best features to Maps. Now, they largely do the same thing when it comes to alerting drivers to police ahead or rerouting to avoid traffic and slowdowns, but that’s only part of the story.

See, Waze doesn’t just rely on historical data like Google Maps. Instead, it’s a crowdsourced app that uses real-time information from its massive community of users. When a driver spots a tire in the road, police ahead, or other road hazards, they report it in the app. When you approach that situation, an alert will sound and pop up on your screen. Google Maps has this too, now, but it’s not the same.

What really sets Waze apart for me is how fast, accurate, and consistent all the alerts are. Every single time I take a trip, navigate to the airport, or use Waze, I get countless alerts. I’m talking about pop-ups that tell me there’s something hazardous in the road, a car stuck on the shoulder, police ahead, bumps from the endless construction everywhere in Texas, and things of that nature.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Google Maps. There are times when I get in my wife’s car, I’m too lazy to toggle Waze, and Google Maps won’t give me a single alert. It’s not consistent.

Google Maps doesn’t always tell me about that Sheriff waiting around the bend, or that semi that’s pulled off the road on an already tight shoulder, and that’s hugely important to me. And it should be for you, too.

When I’m in the car, trying to reach a destination, I want accurate turn-by-turn directions, proper road condition alerts, and clear information about police ahead and other situations. I know I’ll get that with Waze, every single time. I can’t say the same about Google Maps, at least in my area. It does a good job at times, but again, it’s the consistency.

All the alerts you’ll get from Waze

Stay up-to-date on everything

As you probably know, Waze provides real-time, crowdsourced information about everything on the road so you can navigate safely to your destination. You’ll get different notifications for hazards, traffic, road features, police, speed camera traps, and related events.

And while the hazards and speed traps are what really set it apart, here’s a larger list of some of the alerts you’ll love once you customize everything in settings.

• Alerts for police ahead, identifies high-risk areas, and marks accident-prone stretches of the road.
• Speeding and red light cameras
• Traffic jams, road closures, and lane/traffic pattern shifts.
• Hazards: crashes ahead, objects on the road or on the shoulder, weather conditions such as ice, and even wildlife alerts for animals near the road.
• Construction, blocked lanes, toll booths, lane merging, etc.
• Emergency vehicles, Wazer that needs roadside assistance, and more

I also love that Waze displays and shares much of this information, even when you don’t have a destination set or are following a specific turn-by-turn navigation route. Waze always displays the speed limit, Google Maps doesn’t, and you’ll get some (but not all) of the alerts mentioned above, even if it’s just running on your screen with no destination.

Reach your destination with accurate and consistent info

I love Google Maps for walking directions, restaurant info and reviews in a new city, nearby destinations, and so much more. It does so much that it’s a staple on every phone. I’d never uninstall Google Maps. However, when I’m driving, Waze remains my go-to for consistent alerts, hazardous conditions, and more.