Waze’s new feature aimed at protecting cyclists

Google-owned Waze has launched a new type of alert to warn drivers of cyclists on the road.

The new feature is now being rolled out globally across Android and iOS devices. Waze will display a notification when a cyclist is nearby, with the cyclist displayed as a real-time, moving icon on the app.

The catch is that it will only display the alert and icon on the Waze app if the cyclist is wearing a Garmin smartwatch, or if they’ve turned on Garmin LiveTrack on their Garmin Edge bike computer.

The app will also only display cyclist alerts on high-speed and rural roads where visibility may be limited, rather than in urban areas.

Waze says the feature is completely opt-in, and drivers will only see a temporary alert that a cyclist is nearby – not their name, identity or exact route. Alerts are turned off when the cyclist ends their ride with their Garmin device.

Unlike, for example, objects on the road or speed cameras, drivers can’t manually report a cyclist on the road. The alerts are based wholly on live location sharing.

The introduction of this alert comes after cyclist deaths have risen sharply in Australia.

While overall road deaths in Australia rose by 0.2 per cent in the 12 months to September 30, 2026 and vulnerable road user deaths rose by 1.8 per cent, cyclist deaths increased by a whopping 35 per cent.

A total of 54 cyclists lost their lives on Australian roads during this period.

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