Could Waze Roadkill Data Help Save Israeli Wildlife?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Waze users could help save Israeli wildlife after the navigation app partnered with an environmental nonprofit and submitted a map to a Knesset committee on Tuesday outlining the most dangerous routes for wild animals.
Waze worked with The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel to enable Waze users to report roadkill sightings in the past six months, according to a news release. SPNI shared a map outlining the most dangerous routes to the Knesset Science and Technology Committee to show how technology can “safeguard the environment and Israeli nature,” according to the release.
SPNI found Route 2, or the highway from Tel Aviv to Haifa, and Route 6, or the trans-Israel highway, to be the most dangerous routes for animals. Each route received more than 700 reports of roadkill sightings during the six month period.
Users report traffic jams, road closings and other conditions to Waze, which updates other drivers.
Roadkill data for particular routes might alert other drivers to be cautious — and prevent future deadly accidents.
Contact Erica Snow at [email protected] or on Twitter @ericasnoww.
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