Life is unexpected; pandemics, emergencies, and natural disasters seem to be everyday events nowadays. Since there is no way of knowing where or when the next crisis will happen, for many, it has become critically important to maintain a strong situational awareness to be able to at least stay safe during emergencies. Thankfully for us, Google Maps has us covered.

Here, we'll look at some of Google Maps' features that might just save your life. Let's hope you don't have to use them, but it's better to know they're there.

Why Would You Need Google Maps to Stay Safe?

As mentioned above, the COVID-19 pandemic and the current global situation that we are emerging from have undoubtedly put us all to the test, both individually and as a society. Still, emergencies frequently happen, and it's essential for peace of mind to know that you and your loved ones are safe from these unexpected events.

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That's why it's necessary to have additional information to understand better how we can protect ourselves from coming into contact with large crowds, avoid accidents, avoid major emergencies, and be informed about natural disasters.

In that aspect, there are many companies that provide emergency warnings, but still, no company can compete with Google. Google Maps has so much data that it has become the perfect application for emergencies, capable of offering us more and more information to keep us safe. Their features have become so successful that even Android uses them for earthquake warnings.

Safety Features for COVID-19 in Google Maps

One of the most remarkable features of Google Maps is seeing how busy a place is at that exact moment. This means that you can explore the shops and restaurants around you to choose a location based on the current level of overcrowding. Since social distancing plays a role in most decisions, this is a nice feature.

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Additionally, Google displays essential health and safety information about businesses front and center on Maps and Search. If the information is available, you will be able to see what security precautions a business is taking. For example, you can see if they require customers to wear masks. Information about safety on board, accessibility, or even in some cases temperature within public transport could also be displayed.

Google Maps Safety Features for Emergency Incidents

Google launched a new feature designed to notify users if they are in an area where a natural disaster or emergency occurs; these can include warnings for tropical storms, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. Each comes with its icon, earthquakes, car accidents, shootings, protests, etc.

Google Maps will warn you on the map with a moving red dot denoting an alert and a text indicating the type of emergency. On this feature, you can learn more about the incident when tapped. At the bottom, you will see a pop-up window with more precise data on the time and day to know if a warning has already happened or is in progress.

Features like this facilitate the spread of information and that most of the nearby population is informed, especially in the first and most critical moments of the incident. And if for some reason you are in your computer and get a warning about these incidents, you could even call 911 from your computer.

Road Safety Features in Google Maps

Most people are aware of Google Maps traffic alerts, which will re-direct you to a new route if it detects heavy traffic. Very few people know that Google Maps will also, when reported, inform you about car accidents.

And even few people know about Google Maps Safer Routing, made to reduce sudden breaks and accidents. Safer Routing will consider road, weather, and traffic conditions when directing you to your location on Google Maps.

And if you have a Google Pixel phone, you can feel even safer while driving as it counts with a crash detection feature. The crash detection system uses your phone's accelerometer sensor, Google Maps location, ambient audio, and microphone to detect a car crash.

If you do crash and your Pixel senses so, the phone will loudly ring and call 911 if you don’t dismiss the alert. This service is similar to the Apple Watch's and iPhone's fall detection system. Indeed, this is not a Google Maps feature, but it's worth noting that it uses Google Maps to inform your emergency contacts of the accident.

Google Maps Keeps Getting Better

Gone are the days when Google Maps just gets you from point A to point B. Now, it's a full-fledged recommendation engine that will provide you with safety information about the places you're thinking of visiting.

That is why for optimal use, it's recommended that you download maps for offline use, preferably from the city you are living in or visiting. You never know when you will be in an emergency without Wi-Fi or data access. And yes, the GPS will still work even offline, so you will be able to use essential features of Google Maps.