Garmin has announced an industry-first collaboration with navigation platform Waze. This is designed to enhance road safety by alerting drivers to nearby cyclists who are using compatible Garmin devices.
Through the integration, cyclists utilising a Garmin Edge bike computer or compatible smartwatch can opt-in via Garmin Connect to share their LiveTrack location during outdoor rides. When active, drivers using the Waze mobile app will receive real-time, session-based alerts indicating a cyclist’s presence on the road.
Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing, said “Garmin is well-known in the cycling industry for its safety-focused products and features, and we are excited to work with Waze to bring this unique feature to cyclists and drivers alike.
“By increasing awareness between cyclists and motorists, this new tool is designed to foster a safer riding environment for Garmin customers by giving drivers valuable real-time visibility to their whereabouts, helping to create a more connected experience for everyone on the road.”
Gai Berkovich, Vice President and General Manager of Waze, added “Safety is a top priority for Waze, and we’re excited to collaborate with Garmin to help keep cyclists safer on the road. By bringing Live Cycling Alerts to Waze, we’re giving drivers a helpful heads-up so they can slow down, stay aware and safely share the road.”
The Garmin x Waze collaboration, and the extension of real-time LiveTrack warnings for cyclists into Waze-equipped vehicles, feels like a key practical safety breakthrough for vulnerable road users. By turning a cyclist’s GPS unit into an active beacon, broadcasting to surrounding motorists, the integration directly addresses driver distraction and lack of spatial awareness.
However, while the rollout on Waze is a commendable proof-of-concept, it raises an obvious question for the broader cycling and commuting ecosystem: when will this technology scale to Google Maps?
While Waze boasts an impressive global audience of 200 million active drivers, Google Maps – which acquired Waze in 2013 – commands over two billion monthly users worldwide.
Restricting real-time safety alerts to Waze leaves a massive proportion of motorists in the dark, limiting the true preventive power of the technology. Given that location data is temporary, session-based, and fully anonymised, expanding this opt-in protocol to Google Maps could help to establish a universal safety standard across global roadways. It might also push rival hardware & software brands like Wahoo, Hammerhead, and Apple to follow suit.
Garmin x Waze Key Integration Features:
- Privacy-First Sharing: Location sharing is entirely temporary and session-based, initiated only when a cyclist activates LiveTrack for an outdoor ride. Personal user information remains private and is never displayed on Waze.
- Driver Awareness: Waze visualises nearby Garmin cyclists as active, moving indicators along mapped routes, giving motorists advance warning to adjust speed and share the roadway safely.
- Ecosystem Compatibility: The feature leverages Garmin’s established LiveTrack platform, extending a tool traditionally used for sharing routes with family and friends out to the wider driving community.
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