This is a clickable interactive guide to determine what instruction, if any, will be given at the junction between any 2 segments.
There will eventually be encyclopedia style illustrations for the various configurations to visually describe the setup. This will formatted as a sequence flow through, to cover (hopefully) all variations.
Introduction
Understanding how and which instructions are provided requires first understanding a few concepts.
- This page is discussing the instruction which will be provided by the Waze server (or not provided) when traveling from one segment, through a junction, and onto a second segment.
- How Best Continuations work. Any time the destination segment is the Best Continuation there will not be an instruction provided.
While the illustrations displayed by each question may not represent every possible variation, they do represent the difference between the two options in that question. Please choose the most appropriate answer.
Definitions
- The segment you are on before going through the junction, in other words the segment you are coming from will be referred to as the origin, and corresponds to s-in in the the algorithm text provided by Waze staff.
- In terms of navigation, the segment you are being routed from is the origin.
- The segment you will be on after the junction, in other words the segment you are going to will be referred to as the destination, and corresponds to s-out in the the algorithm text provided by Waze staff.
- In terms of navigation, the segment you are being routed on to is the destination.
- Any segments other the destination which leave the junction at an angle less than 44° will be referred to as other branches, and corresponds to s-N, or s-1,2,3,4... in the the algorithm text provided by Waze staff.
- When the beginning portion two segments are directly on top of each other, meaning they both leave the junction at the exact same angle as each other, they will be referred to as an overlapping segment.
- Any road typed in Waze as a Freeway, Major Highway, or Minor Highway, will be referred to in this page as a highway.
Directions
To use this interactive flowchart;
- Start with the first question in The Interactive Algorithm.
- Click on the appropriate answer which best matches your situation. A new question will jump to the top of the screen
- Continue answering the questions until an instruction is displayed at the top of the screen.
- This is the instruction that the Waze server should give when transversing this junction between the two segments you described as the origin and the destination.
The interactive algorithm
Other than the origin and the destination, are there any other segments connected to this junction?
| YES |
|---|
| NO => No Instruction |
|---|
Are the origin or the destination part of a Roundabout?
| YES, see section on Roundabout instructions |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the turn angle from the origin to the destination between 44.5° and 135°?
| YES |
|---|
| NO, the turn angle is less 44.5° |
|---|
| NO, the turn angle is greater than 135° |
|---|
- NOTE: Turns with angles greater than 135° will follow the same instruction path as 44.5°-135°, but the Waze routing server will penalize this turn, and avoid routing through it.
Which direction is the turn?
| Left => Turn Left |
|---|
| Right => Turn Right |
|---|
Are there any other branches with unrestricted turns from the origin?
| YES |
|---|
| NO => No Instruction |
|---|
Is there more than one (1) other branch?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Are the two branches (the destination and the other branch) overlapping?
| YES => No Instruction |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the name of the origin and the destination identical?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Are the origin and the destination the same road type?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Are both the name AND the road type of any of the other branches identical to the origin?
| YES |
|---|
| NO => No Instruction |
|---|
Is there any other branch to the left of this branch?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is this an overlapping segment, is it overlapped by any other branch?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Are the segments in a right hand traffic country (such as the USA)?
| YES => Keep/Stay Left |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the origin a highway?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the destination a highway?
| YES => Keep/Stay Left |
|---|
| NO => Exit Left |
|---|
Is the origin a ramp?
| YES |
|---|
| NO => Keep/Stay Left |
|---|
Is the destination a highway, or a ramp?
| YES => Keep/Stay Left |
|---|
| NO => Exit Left |
|---|
Is the name of any of the other branches identical to the origin?
| YES |
|---|
| NO => No Instruction |
|---|
Are the origin and the destination the same road type?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the name of any of the other branches identical to the origin?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the road type of any of the other branches identical to the origin?
| YES |
|---|
| NO => No Instruction |
|---|
Are the segments in a left hand traffic country (like the UK)?
| YES => Keep/Stay Right |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the origin a highway?
| YES |
|---|
| NO |
|---|
Is the destination a highway?
| YES => Keep/Stay Right |
|---|
| NO => Exit Right |
|---|
Is the origin a ramp?
| YES |
|---|
| NO => Keep/Stay Right |
|---|
Is the destination a highway, or a ramp?
| YES => Keep/Stay Right |
|---|
| NO => Exit Right |
|---|
The instructions
No Instruction
There will be No instruction given passing through this junction. This can be caused by several factors including
- Best Continuation
- Certain cases with an overlapping segment
- The instruction would be Continue Straight (this doesn't yet exist in the client application)
- Displayed Icons
 Livemap |
Not Available in Client App |
Turn Right
- Displayed Icons
 Livemap |
 Client App |
Keep/Stay Right
livemap icon
client app icon
Exit Right
livemap icon
client app icon
- NOTE:
- In a left hand traffic country this instruction does not exist, and will instead give a Keep/Stay_Right instruction.
- You will only get an Exit instruction on a turn angle less than 45°, because it is assumed no true exit would have a turn sharper than 45°.
- NOTE:
Turn Left
livemap icon
client app icon
Keep/Stay Left
livemap icon
client app icon
Exit Left
livemap icon
client app icon
- NOTE:
- In a right hand traffic country this instruction does not exist, and will instead give a Keep/Stay_Left instruction.
- You will only get an Exit instruction on a turn angle less than 45°, because it is assumed no true exit would have a turn sharper than 45°.
- NOTE:
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