Taking inspiration from the legal requirement to form a rescue lane in multiple European countries, Sygic GPS Navigation developers have added a special alert to notify users of potential highway accidents. Recognizing the importance of clear instructions during critical situations, Sygic also offers visual instruction to assist drivers safely navigating around emergency vehicles. This new safety feature aims to eliminate confusion and help to ensure smoother traffic flow, enhancing overall road safety.
Every second counts in critical situations such as accidents, particularly on highways where quick reactions are crucial. While it may be clear where to turn a vehicle on a two-lane road, the complexity increases on multiple-lane roads. Lukas Dermek, Head of Product at Sygic, explained the findings from their focus group of drivers: "We discovered that the majority of drivers are not familiar with the rescue alley rule. Therefore, including educational information became essential to make an impact with the alert."
The alert feature is included in the Premium+ license and activates within seconds when traffic decelerates to a certain speed. This prompts the navigation system to warn drivers about a potential accident ahead and provides instructions on how to position their vehicle.
Vehicles in the left lane should move as far to the left as possible, while those in the right lane should move as far to the right. For multi-lane directional roads such as dual carriageways and motorways, vehicles in the left lane should turn to the left, while all other lanes should turn to the right. It is crucial to keep the hard shoulder clear in these situations.
The rescue alley obligation is valid in several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Drivers in other EU Member States are not obligated to create a rescue lane.
Sygic's commitment to enhancing driver safety is reflected in integrating this informative alert feature, ensuring that drivers are better prepared to respond effectively during emergencies on the road.