Why does Waze suggest longer routes and how to fix it?

Waze, the GPS-assisted navigation app, is one of the most preferred by drivers, often even ahead of Google Maps .

This app has well-known advantages, primarily based on the interaction between its users . This way, drivers can inform each other about various problems and circumstances affecting traffic, such as road closures or accidents.

Both Waze and other apps are regularly updated to fix bugs and add new features, all with the goal of improving the user experience. However, these improvements often go untapped by less mobile-savvy users , especially when they aren't accompanied by notifications or the necessary instructions.

In this sense, Waze has for years incorporated the ability to plan routes taking into account the mobility restrictions that each vehicle may face based on its level of polluting emissions, which are increasingly present in large cities. In other words, Waze is able to take into account the different Low Emission Zones ( LEZs ) that affect each route and avoid them if our vehicle cannot navigate through them.

However, configuring this feature isn't as intuitive as it might seem. If left unconfigured, the app will assume , by default, that our vehicle is subject to all possible traffic restrictions , as it lacks any environmental decals or labels. For this reason, many users have seen how the app avoids any type of restricted area and plots much longer routes (both in terms of time and distance).

If you didn't configure this feature in the past, if you've only recently started using this app and it hasn't given you the option to configure it, or if you're simply experiencing this problem, the solution is quite simple.

First, we need to open the left side menu. To do this, simply select the "My Waze " icon located in the horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen. Once you do this, the settings menu will appear in the upper left corner, represented by the classic settings button.

Within the settings, we must go to the " Toll and HOV Passes " option, in the "Driving Preferences" category. As you can see, a list of "Local Passes" appears here, including the names of different municipalities. The B, C, ECO, or Zero Emission labels will also appear. Basically, all you have to do is select the label you have to add it to the "Your Passes" category. This way, the application will design routes taking into account the restrictions designed for our environmental label.

Similarly, we may have access to a specific restricted area, for example, due to a work or residence permit . In this case, we will also need to add the corresponding restricted area to "Your Passes."