As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, a new battle is on the horizon; the “Balik Kampung” trip home to celebrate Hari Raya. Here are some Waze traffic predictions on what to expect as you make your way home for this year’s celebrations:
Prediction 1: There will be More Malaysians on the Road
Based on Waze’s 2018 data and in conjunction with the Raya school holidays, Waze predicts an increase of 18% more active users on the road versus what is normally observed during a normal week.
Prediction 2: Malaysians Will Spend More Time on the Road
On average, Malaysians spend an average of 72 minutes per day on the road, but that is expected to increase during Raya as Waze predicts an increase of 15%, which means about 83 minutes on the road. The distances covered by road users are also expected to double from the 56km per day of the average seen in a normal week.
Prediction 3: Malaysians and Their Thing for Food and Shopping
Malaysians recorded an average of 7.2 million food-related navigations and 9.7 million shopping-related navigations using Waze on a monthly basis, and that number is expected to increase during the Hari Raya holidays.
Some Waze Tips at Your Fingertips
During the festive season, it doesn’t make sense to stay home, but what are you to do when there are more cars on the road?
- Leave Waze on When You Drive. Waze suggests that users leave the app on while they are driving to get real-time traffic data to help them gauge their drive time more accurately.
- Select Your Routes. Waze also notes that tapping on Routes within the app will help you check which route will offer the fastest arrival time. Alternatively, users can choose to pick more convenient or familiar routes instead, including routes that exclude tolls.
- Play Some Tunes. If you’re expecting a long drive, break the monotony by playing music or podcasts on one of the many Waze audio partners to choose from, such as Spotify, Deezer, iHeartRadio, NPR, Pandora, Scribd, Stitcher, and TuneIn.
With the help of these tips, hopefully you’ll have a breezy journey to “balik kampung” and reach your loved ones safely. Download the Waze app to test it out for yourself. For more information, please visit www.waze.com.
