With its acquisition of Waze in 2013, Google added a human element to its traffic calculations. Drivers use the Waze app to report traffic incidents including accidents, disabled vehicles, slowdowns and even speed traps [sources: Palmer, Waze]. These real-time reports appear as individual points on Google Maps, with small icons representing things like construction signs, crashed cars or speed cameras. … [Read more...] about How Does Google Maps Predict Traffic?