Meet the people behind the Waze Map: our stellar Waze Map Editor Community. Every day they help edit, draw, and improve the map, and even contribute to some of our most-requested and industry-leading features (see: HOV navigation across the United States, Crit’Air and Zona a Traffico Limitato in Europe). With their help, Waze can ensure the routes you are driving are in fact the best (and quickest!) option.
Without further ado, let’s meet some Waze Map Editor champions…and if you’re as inspired as we are by their stories, you too can join the Waze Map Editor Community.
We’ve got a bonus Wazer to close out the week of the Waze Map Editor! Meet Wazer Matthieu of France. A dedicated editor for 8 years(!), Matthieu has helped his fellow Wazers outsmart every day traffic, and navigate local rules of the road thanks to his contributions to Waze’s industry-leading Crit’Air navigation. Learn how he got started editing all those years ago…
- Waze in one word: Community
- Ultimate #WazeWin: I avoided 30km traffic jam (~19 miles) by exiting the freeway and taking an alternative route for more than 2 hours won.
- Why he is a Waze Map Editor: I was upset to see that my GPS did not know about roundabouts built 2 years ago, so when Waze arrived I was happy to be able to build my own map for the benefit of everyone.
Meet Vladislav a Waze Map Editor for 5 years from Latvia. His best #WazeWin happened in real-time, while he was in a rush. Waze found an alternative route for him, and he took it. Instantly he saw some cars following him too — yes, fellow Wazers!
- Favorite Waze Mood: Sunflower
- Favorite Waze Voice: Arnold Schwarzenegger Editor’s note: a limited-edition voice that’s been…Terminated.
- Why others should join the editing community: It opens up a brand new world for you.
Finnish Map Editor Roope wants YOU to start editing the map so you can help him and his fellow editors keep the map up-to-date. Because together, you can help make his much-loved Waze ETA work even better. And let those kids in the backseat know *exactly* how much longer the ride will last…
- Favorite Waze Mood: T-Rex
- Ultimate #WazeWin: Finding new, faster ways to familiar places I’ve been driving the “wrong way” to for years!
- Why he is a Waze Map Editor: I discovered that the Waze Map didn’t include a road to my summer cottage.
Meet Waze Map Editor Andrey from Ukraine. He has been editing the map for over a year, during which he’s grown to love the possibility of creating a world with his fellow editors, almost as much as he loves to Waze with Android Auto.
- Waze in one word: Creative
- Why he is a Waze Map Editor: My house and road were absent from the map. I drew them and after two days there were on the map. I was shocked!
- Why others should join the editing community: The map editor community is a force to be reckoned with. And by mapping together, we can all have…the best map that ever existed. Editor’s note: we couldn’t have said it better!
Representing Latvia and Ukraine, it’s Waze Map Editor GrauztiLV_tt. 5 years into his time as a Map Editor, and he’s still pushing to help others find the fastest route. What keeps him dedicated? His friends on Waze, of course.
- Favorite Waze Mood: Zombie
- Waze in one word: Smart
- Why others should join the editing community: Because it’s cool!
Meet Kari, a Waze Map Editor from Finland. He’s been editing for five years and describes Waze as simply the “best.”
- Favorite Waze Voice: My own! Editor’s note: you can create a custom voice, too with the Waze Voice Recorder.
- Why he uses Waze: Crowdsourcing makes our everyday life better — together we are stronger.
- Ultimate #WazeWin: Saving at least 20 minutes when I got a report of an accident at highway 4 in Jyväskylä. Took a minor street instead and arrived on time thanks to Waze.
Meet Wazer DengKao, from The Netherlands. He has been editing for 4 years and describes Waze as “amazing.” (or as we like to say a-Waze-ing 😉).
- Favorite Waze Feature: The ETA — it’s the most accurate, and I can share it!
- Why he is a Waze Map Editor: I found some incorrect points on the map and wanted to fix them. The next day my improvement was already visible! 100% map magic.
- Why others should join the editing community: Your local knowledge is always an ultimate win to others. And everyone can enjoy an accurate map when we have the latest information.
Meet Pipe, from Colombia. He has been a map editor since 2011(!) and he is now a proud Global Champ and one of our highest ranking Waze Map Editors (achieved by making a crazy amount of edits!).
- Favorite Waze Mood: Einstein, a Beta program exclusive...but he’s got a sweet spot for T-Rex, too.
- Waze in one word: Friendship
- Why he is a Waze Map Editor: It’s the best opportunity to contribute to improve your city’s traffic, and meet interesting people. (editor’s note: we couldn’t agree more!)
And now, it’s your turn. Start today, and begin your rise through the ranks of the Waze Map Editor Community. Together, we can build a better map and a better Waze.