Residents urged to use what3words app to stay safe and plan journeys over Christmas

Emergency services say lives across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are being saved by the use of new mobile technology called What3Words.
What3words is a mobile app that divides the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares, with each square given a unique combination of three words. Credit: What3Words

A local council is urging residents to stay safe and be prepared before they set off on their journeys across the county and the UK to visit family and friends over Christmas.

With risks of extreme weather events and an increase in road traffic, Cumbria County Council is encouraging residents to prepare for long car journeys by downloading the what3words mobile app, or to visit the one.network website.

One.network is a traffic management system, and enables traffic messages to be coordinated and communicated in real time. People can see who is co-ordinating the roadworks in their area and when they will occur.

What3words is a mobile app that divides the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares, with each square given a unique combination of three words. 

This means that everywhere has its own address - from the side of the motorway to parking spots and remote viewpoints.

The app is free to download for both iOS and Android and works entirely offline – making it ideal for using in Cumbria. what3words can also be used via the online map at what3words.com, and the app is available in 54 languages.

Residents can also use the what3words app to report a highway issue, including a problem with a road, pavement, lighting, flooding, trees, obstructions on the road, road signage or faulty traffic lights.

An online form on the council’s website uses what3words to identify the exact location of the problem.

Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Both communication tools are essential for residents planning and making journeys, at any time of the year, but especially during the festive season, when the weather is so unpredictable.

“The one.network system is a great way to see where roads works are, and it also shows dates of starting and completion of works and which company is co-ordinating them too.

“If people are going to be making journeys, downloading what3words can be an invaluable tool if you’ve broken down in the cold or dark, rain or snow. It means that roadside assistance or the emergency services will know exactly where to go."

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