It is reported that Google Maps is working on a New feature to highlight brightly lit streets in the application. The feature is reportedly first spotted by XDA Developers in an APK teardown of the map application.
This feature is currently in testing & is called “Lighting Layer” that will help users identify streets that are brightly lit. The feature will highlight lit streets with yellow colour highlight to help users avoid streets with poor or no lighting.
Since this feature was spotted in a teardown, there’s no telling when (or if) it will ever actually see the light of day, but it does look like it could be a handy tool to make users feel safer. It also falls in line with Google’s recent attempts at making Google Maps better at ensuring safety of its users.
Google Maps To Add “Safety Feature” For Night Travel.
There’s also no telling whether Google will roll this feature out globally, or in specific-regions. However, India seems like a country where this feature should make an appearance.
Earlier this year Google rolled out “Stay Safer” for users in India. This feature alerts users in cabs if their drivers deviate from the designated route. The user’s phone buzzes with a notification that warned users if their cab driver went off-route on a trip. This feature also allows users to share their live location with their contacts.
The feature was discovered in an APK teardown of the beta version of the app. It is unclear if Google will make it live in the public version. It is expected that the feature will be piloted in India first where women’s safety is a national-level issue.
Source: XDA Developers
