How To Report An Accident In Apple Maps (iOS 14.5)

Apple recently released the iOS 14.5 update for iPhone, and with it came some pretty great features. The most popular feature with this release is by far the ability to use Face ID while wearing a mask (read here). However, another great feature that came to iPhone is the ability to report an accident in Apple Maps.

This has been possible in other GPS apps for a while now, so it’s great to see it on iPhone. It’s a feature that will allow drivers to help one another and ensure that Apple Maps is as effective as possible.

In today’s post, I’m going to walk you through a few ways to use this feature to report accidents, hazards, and speed checks. I’ll also cover how to remove reported incidents in Apple Maps if you notice that a reported incident is no longer relevant.

Let’s get into it!

Report an accident in Apple Maps (or a hazard/speed check) while driving

The most common method you’ll use to report an accident in Apple Maps is while you’re driving. After all, this is when you’re going to see the accident.

This method assumes that you already have a route in progress on the Apple Maps app, like so:

To make a report, tap the bottom tab of your screen (the tab that lists your arrival, hrs, and mi). When you tap it, six new buttons will appear.

One of these buttons is the Report button. Tap it to bring up three options.

As you can see in the screenshot above, Apple Maps will allow you to choose from Accident, Hazard, and Speed Check.

• Accident is for car accidents that are obstructing the road. Report these when an accident is causing traffic to back up.
• Hazard is for anything on the road that might be dangerous to other drivers. A fallen tree, debris, puddles, ice, potholes, cracks, etc.
• Speed Check is for anything that is checking your speed while you drive. A police officer, a digital sign tracking your speed, etc.

When you tap one of these buttons while driving with Apple Maps, Apple Maps will automatically log your reported incident. If enough users make the same report as you, Apple will log this reported incident in the app for you and everyone else.

How to report an accident in Apple Maps while you’re not driving

Of course, there are plenty of times when you’ll want to report an accident in Apple Maps while you aren’t driving. Maybe you witnessed an accident or were involved in an accident. Or maybe you saw a hazard or speed check on your way home and, now that you’re home, are ready to report it.

To make your report, open Apple Maps and tap the blue i in the top-right of the screen.

Then, tap Report an Issue.

Again, you’ll see the same Accident, Hazard, and Speed Check options listed here.

Except now, when you tap each one, you can attach more information to it.

This extra information includes attaching notes and a photo to your report. You can also pinpoint where the accident/hazard/speed check is on the map. Perfect for when you aren’t near where the incident is that you’re reporting.

How to make a report in Apple Maps using Siri

You can also use Siri to report an accident in Apple Maps. Just activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri” or by holding the side button on your iPhone. Then say, “Report an accident” or “Report a hazard/speed check”.

Siri will instantly log the report based on your current location. And that’s it! This is the fastest way to make a report and is probably safest if you want to report something while driving. Though I should mention that you should wait until you’ve stopped moving to make a report in Apple Maps.

Report an incident in Apple Maps while using CarPlay

Lastly, you can report an accident in Apple Maps using CarPlay. Just start your route in Apple Maps, and when you want to report something, tap the button that looks like a speech bubble with an exclamation point “!” inside it.

This will bring up the Accident, Hazard, and Speed Check buttons on your CarPlay screen. Tap the appropriate one to log a report.

How to remove an accident in Apple Maps

Now that you know how to report an accident in Apple Maps using four different methods, let’s cover how to remove accidents, hazards, and speed checks. This is for removing falsely reported information or removing information that is now out of date.

To do this, just tap the incident’s icon in Apple Maps. You’ll see two options, Cleared or Still Here. Tap Cleared to let Apple Maps know that this incident is no longer a concern. If the incident is still present, however, tapping Still Here will let Apple Maps know to keep that icon there.

You can also use Siri to remove reported incidents hands-free. Just say, “Hey Siri, this accident/hazard/speed check” is gone. If the corresponding icon is near your location in Apple Maps, then Apple will automatically log your feedback and attach it to that incident.

Conclusion

And that’s it! That’s how you can report an accident in Apple Maps. This is a community effort, so the more people who know how to do this, the better. Tell your friends!

For more tips and tricks on iPhone and all things Apple, check out the rest of the AppleToolBox blog.

See you next time!