Google Maps to introduce real-time Waze incident reports

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Google says real-time traffic reports will appear on Google Maps courtesy of users of Waze, the mapping service Google purchased for $1 billion.

The Google Maps app for Apple iOS and Android will include Waze user reports of accidents, road closures, construction and other incidents as updates begin rolling out Tuesday, Google said in a blog post.

The Google/Waze integration will be a two-way street, the Mountain View, Calif., company said; Waze users will gain access to Google search and Street View.

The update will give Google users in the United States and a numbers of other countries, including Great Britain, France, Germany, Brazil and Mexico, detailed accident updates instead of simple "heavy traffic" notices.

Google shelled out $1 billion for the Israeli Waze startup in June to bolster its Google Maps service after negotiations between Waze and social network Facebook fell through.

Waze is a crowd-sourced mapping application providing turn-by-turn directions and real-time incident reports filed by its user community, reportedly approaching 40 million.