Don’t be surprised if Waze or Google Maps offers you routes that seem longer than usual: this is normal and for good reason.
If you are a regular or occasional driver, you may have noticed that the routes offered by your mapping or satellite guidance (GPS) application have changed slightly lately. And it’s not just an impression: Decree No. 2022-1119 of August 3, 2022, relating to digital travel assistance services and which determines the terms of application of thearticle L. 1115-8-1 of the transport code imposes new rules on mapping, route calculation and satellite guidance applications, such as Waze or Google Maps.
The article in question of the transport code notably obliges the applications and digital services concerned to present itineraries calculated according to their environmental impact, favoring those with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, this article requires applications not to encourage users to make massive use of secondary roads not intended to absorb intensive traffic, in order not to create excessive traffic in areas whose road layout is not suitable. (villages, municipal roads, etc.).
Thus, the application of these new rules leads to a significant modification of the routes generated and the order in which they are presented to the user. By default, the first route that is now offered to you is no longer the shortest, in terms of time or distance, but the one that minimizes the environmental impact of your journey, particularly in terms of CO2 emissions. And in the event of traffic jams, your guidance application will now offer you less often, especially in the first suggestions, to take small streets and village paths to escape traffic congestion.
Of course, it is always possible to obtain the shortest or fastest routes, by browsing the list of different routes offered and applying personalized calculation criteria, or even by manually selecting certain road sections on the map. These results will simply be less visible and less highlighted by the applications.
And these incentives given to drivers could even be strengthened for the inhabitants of Ile-de-France, with the holding of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The public authorities are in fact putting pressure on travel assistance applications so that they divert users from the routes most impacted by the event. Ile-de-France residents will appreciate it.