Waze users’ accident reports could cut emergency response time in half

FINDINGS Waze, the crowdsourced traffic application, could potentially help first responders reach a car crash in half the time it currently takes. A study by UCLA and UC Irvine researchers found that crash-related reports from Waze users came an average of two minutes and 41 seconds earlier than reports received by California Highway Patrol emergency personnel. In cases when a crash was reported by multiple Waze users, the earliest reports were submitted even faster — an average of four minutes and three seconds prior to a CHP report. BACKGROUND. More than 100 people die and 2.5 million are transported to emergency departments each year in the U.S. due to motor vehicle collisions. The time between a 911 call and the arrival of emergency medical service units to accident sites generally ranges from seven to 14 minutes. METHOD.