Country-Specific Speed Limit Sign with Symbol for Variable Limits

Problem
Waze’s static database cannot display real-time variable speed limits (VSLs) on roads like Israel’s Highway 20 (Ayalon), Switzerland’s A1, Germany’s A3, Austria’s A1, the UK’s M25, the USA’s I-95, Canada’s Highway 401, Australia’s M1, and India’s Delhi expressways. Fixed speed limits (e.g., 120 km/h or 60 km/h) can mislead drivers, risking speeding tickets or accidents, especially on long stretches without repeater signs. Showing no limit confuses users and suggests unedited segments. This issue frustrates Waze communities in the UK, USA, India, Canada, and beyond, demanding a smarter solution.

Current Options

No limit: Safest option, avoiding misinformation, but frustrates users expecting guidance and implies segments weren’t edited. A better solution exists.

Maximum limit (e.g., 120 km/h): Risks speeding when actual limits are lower, endangering safety.

Average limit (e.g., 100 km/h): Unreliable due to VSL fluctuations, causing incorrect warnings.

Lowest limit (e.g., 60 km/h): Overly cautious, annoying users with unnecessary alerts.

Solution
Display a country-specific speed limit sign (e.g., Israel’s red circle, USA’s rectangle) in the same UI spot as numeric limits, but with a symbol (e.g., question mark "?", exclamation mark "!", or eye "👀") instead of a number, urging drivers to check roadside VSL signs. In the Waze Map Editor (WME), add a simple, country-specific symbol option for editors to tag VSL segments.

Benefits

Safer Roads: Prevents reliance on wrong limits, reducing accidents and fines, aligning with Waze’s safety mission.

Clear Guidance: Familiar signs with a symbol ensure intuitive UI and proactive VSL alerts.

Trusted Map: Shows active editing, boosting confidence in Waze’s community-driven reliability.

Global Impact: Enhances user experience worldwide, from Tel Aviv to Toronto, strengthening Waze’s leadership.

Simple Innovation: Minimal UI/WME changes, echoing Waze’s Israeli-born crowd-sourced vision.

Example
On Israel’s Ayalon Highway or Switzerland’s A1, where limits vary (60–120 km/h), Waze shows a red circle with a "?" to prompt checking electronic signs, ensuring safety and confirming editor input.

Call to Action
Let’s build on Waze’s innovative roots to make roads safer globally. Can we collaborate to bring this to life?