Clear Way - EMS Alert System

visit website

Making Space When Seconds Matter

Industry

Public Safety

Scope of work

Automotive UX

Duration

4 Months

There is a Problem

When an emergency vehicle approaches, drivers are expected to react instantly. However, they’re given minimal information in some of the most complex driving environments imaginable.

Delays add minutes to emergencies where every second affects survival.

Listening Before Designing: Focus Group

Scenario:

You're driving down 5th Avenue during
heavy morning traffic with your
audiobook playing and alerts turned off.
Traffic is dense on all sides-cars to your right, buses i
n the bus-only lanes, and some standing vehicles
with small gaps on your left.
Suddenly, you hear a distant siren and spot EMS lights
about two blocks behind you. What do you do next?

Key Research Insight

Hearing alone is not enough to take action

“I’m not moving [...] It might be on a
totally different street.”

Mentioned stress, anxiety, or frustration during EMS encounters

“I feel pressure to make the right move
fast, but other drivers make it harder.”

Willingness to share location data for safety

“It feels like helping the community,
not just giving data away.”

Clear Way

Clear Way is an integrated EMS notification system for Google Maps that enhances driver awareness and roadway safety through multimodal alerts. It notifies drivers of approaching emergency vehicles using coordinated visual cues (via CarPlay and mobile interfaces) and adaptive audio guidance, providing clear, actionable information about distance, direction, and appropriate response.

The system is structured around a three-tiered implementation strategy that balances immediate feasibility with long-term innovation—allowing for near-term deployment while laying the groundwork for future vehicle-to-vehicle integration and automation.

From Low-Fidelity to ON the Road

Low Fidelity

Mid Fidelity

Onto Testing

Participants

Method:
Participants were shown a real driving video of 6th Avenue in NYC and asked to immerse themselves in the scenario. As they spoke aloud, they navigated the prototype and shared their thoughts, reactions, and feelings in real time.

Testing Outcomes

What worked

Effective Attention Capture

6/6 users agreed audio notifications successfully
grabbed their attention
Helped distinguish EMS in their path vs. other streets

Lane Information Value

Users who noticed lane-specific info made
more confident decisions
Led to strategic actions (staying put or changing lanes)
rather than unnecessary pullover

Improved Confidence

4/6 users understood alerts and
felt confident responding to EMS

Multimodal Approach Validated

Avg. 3.3 sec glance time
Avg. 11.3 map checks per session shows alert
successfully drew their attention when needed
without causing prolonged distraction.