Interactive junction instruction algorithm View history

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This is a clickable interactive guide to determine what instruction, if any, will be given at the junction between any 2 segments.

A text version of this information is available here.

There will eventually be encyclopedia style illustrations for all the various configurations to visually describe the setup.

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.
  • The turn angle is the angle from the origin to the destination. A perfectly straight road with a junction in the middle would have a turn angle is 0°. The angle then gets wider as you turn to either side. A perfect left or right turn would be 90°. A U-turn at a junction between two segments would represent a 180° turn.
insert turn angle diagram, and illustrations (after determining the absolute threshold between keep and turn instructions in testing now)
  • The Roundabout angle is the angle of any segment connected to the roundabout from the perspective of the origin. The actual turn angle of the segments is irrelevant.
    To explain;
    • Draw an imaginary line straight through the roundabout to the other side of the roundabout from junction node where the origin joins the roundabout. This will represent a 0° Roundabout angle, any deviation to the right or left will increase the angle.
    • Draw another imaginary line across the roundabout exactly perpendicular to the first imaginary line. This will represent a 90° Roundabout angle to either side.
    • For more info see the roundabouts page
Roundabouts
Normal Abnormal

All other segments are within the allowed ±15° from either 0° or 90°. Not all other segments are within the allowed ±15° from either 0° or 90°.

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

(01)

Other than the origin and the destination, are there any other segments connected to this junction?


intersection At Grade Connector At Grade Connector

YES


dead end cul-de-sac dead end continue junction turn junction


NO => No Instruction



(19)

Are the origin or the destination part of a Roundabout?


Round about street round about MH mH round about ramps

YES


intersection bowtie

NO



(02)

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.



(03)

Which direction is the turn?


Left => Turn Left


Right => Turn Right



(04)

Are there any other branches with unrestricted turns from the origin?


YES


NO => No Instruction



(13)

Is there more than one (1) other branch?


YES


NO



(14)

Are the two branches (the destination and the other branch) overlapping?


YES => No Instruction


NO



(05)

Is the name of the origin and the destination identical?


YES


NO



(06)

Are the origin and the destination the same road type?


YES


NO



(07)

Are both the name AND the road type of any of the other branches identical to the origin?


YES


NO => No Instruction



(08)

Is there any other branch to the left of this branch?


YES


NO



(20)

Is this an overlapping segment, is it overlapped by any other branch?


YES


NO



(25)

Are the segments in a right hand traffic country (such as the USA)?


YES => Keep/Stay Left


NO



(21)

Is the origin a highway? ( Freeway ,  Major Highway , or  Minor Highway )


YES


NO



(22)

Is the destination a highway? ( Freeway ,  Major Highway , or  Minor Highway )


YES => Keep/Stay Left


NO => Exit Left



(23)

Is the origin a  Ramp ?


YES


NO => Keep/Stay Left



(24)

Is the destination a highway ( Freeway ,  Major Highway , or  Minor Highway ), or a  Ramp ?


YES => Keep/Stay Left


NO => Exit Left



(09)

Is the name of any of the other branches identical to the origin?


YES


NO => No Instruction



(10)

Are the origin and the destination the same road type?


YES


NO



(11)

Is the name of any of the other branches identical to the origin?


YES


NO



(12)

Is the road type of any of the other branches identical to the origin?


YES


NO => No Instruction



(26)

Are the segments in a left hand traffic country (like the UK)?


YES => Keep/Stay Right


NO



(15)

Is the origin a highway? ( Freeway ,  Major Highway , or  Minor Highway )


YES


NO



(16)

Is the destination a highway? ( Freeway ,  Major Highway , or  Minor Highway )


YES => Keep/Stay Right


NO => Exit Right



(17)

Is the origin a  Ramp ?

YES


NO => Keep/Stay Right



(18)

Is the destination a highway ( Freeway ,  Major Highway , or  Minor Highway ), or a  Ramp ?


YES => Keep/Stay Right


NO => Exit Right



(27)

Are there five (5) or more segments (junctions) connected to the roundabout?


YES => At the Roundabout Take the #xx Exit


NO



(28)

From the perspective of the origin, are the roundabout angles to all the other segments between 0°-15°, or 75°-105°?


YES


NO => At the Roundabout Take the #xx Exit



(29)

What direction is the destination relative to the origin?


Left => At the Roundabout Turn Left


Straight => At the Roundabout Continue Straight


Right => At the Roundabout Turn Right



The navigation 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
& WME
Client App
Not
Available
in Client
App







Turn Right

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App







Keep/Stay Right

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App







Exit Right

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App


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°.






Turn Left

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App







Keep/Stay Left

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App







Exit Left

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App


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°.







At the Roundabout Take the #xx Exit

The "#xx" will be 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.. The counting starts from the origin.


Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App

NOTE: In the client app there will be a digit inside the circle representing which number exit you must take (starting from the origin).






At the Roundabout Turn Left

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App








At the Roundabout Turn Right

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App







At the Roundabout Continue Straight

Displayed Icons
Livemap
& WME
Client App
























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