Google Now will get you out of a jam using new Waze-powered traffic alerts

There’s always a Waze around traffic.

While the big news today is Google Now officially arriving within the Chrome web browser, the company has also taken the opportunity to announce a new feature for the Android Google Search app.

On Monday evening, Google announced Waze data has been integrated with Google Search, bringing users automatic, live traffic updates.

The idea is to give folks a heads-up via notifications if delays are occurring on regular commutes before they stumble into the traffic jam. This, of course, will allow them to seek alternate routes.

“You know the feeling,” wrote the firm on its Google+ page. “You’re just miles from home when all of a sudden you see brake lights ahead – a sure sign of an incident on the road. Starting today, you’ll have a better chance of making it around the traffic.”

Cruising the back roads

Google continued: “With the latest update to the Google Search app for Android, Google Now will send you a notification if you’re likely to hit a traffic incident along your drive – without you even having to ask. That way, you can get off at that earlier exit and cruise through the back roads.”

Google acquired the crowd-sourced Waze app last summer for over a billion dollars.

It’s first act of business was to bring traffic updates within Google Now, but today’s move makes the updates accessible for those users running older version of Android who don’t have the personal assistant app baked into their devices.