We've heard the same request from our community hundreds of times: “I can see incidents on the map, but I need to know if my specific route is safe.”
Today, we're thrilled to introduce Route Safety Scoring — a feature that transforms how you plan your journeys in Nigerian cities.
How It Works
Open the Routes tab in Chipon, enter your destination, and we'll show you up to 3 different routes powered by Google Maps. But here's what makes Chipon different: each route comes with a safety score from 0 to 100.
The score is computed by analyzing every incident within a 500-meter buffer zone along the entire route. The system considers:
- Active incidents along the path right now
- Historical incident density for each road segment
- Time-of-day patterns — some routes are safer in the morning than at night
- Community verification levels — verified incidents weigh more heavily
Color-Coded Segments
Each route is broken into segments, and each segment gets its own mini safety score. On the map, segments are color-coded:
- Green (80-100): Low risk. This segment has minimal incident history.
- Yellow (60-79): Moderate. Some incidents have been reported here. Stay aware.
- Orange (40-59): Elevated risk. Recent or recurring incidents on this segment.
- Red (0-39): High risk. Active or critical incidents. Consider an alternative.
This gives you a visual safety profile of your entire journey at a glance — not just the destination, but every kilometer in between.
The “Safest Route” Badge
When you compare routes, the one with the highest safety score gets a green “Safest” badge. This isn't always the shortest or fastest route — it's the one our data suggests carries the least risk.
In our testing across Lagos, the safest route added an average of only 4 minutes to journey time compared to the fastest route. Four minutes for meaningfully better safety conditions is a trade-off most people are happy to make.
Built on Real Data
Route Safety Scoring isn't based on assumptions or outdated crime statistics. It pulls from the same live intelligence pipeline that powers Chipon's safety map:
- Community reports verified within the last 7 days
- News-sourced incidents with geographic precision
- Historical pattern data from our 90-day rolling window
The scores update in real-time. If a new incident is reported on your route after you've started your journey, you'll receive a push notification with an updated safety assessment.
Privacy First
Route Safety Scoring does not track your location during the journey. We compute the score at the moment you request it, based on the route geometry — not your real-time position. Your routes are not stored or shared.
Available Now
Route Safety Scoring is available today in the Chipon mobile app (iOS and Android) and on the web app at app.chipon.io. Open the Routes tab, enter a destination, and see your safety-scored options.
Coming soon: Integration with popular ride-hailing apps to show safety scores before you confirm a trip. Stay tuned.
Have feedback on Route Safety Scoring? We're listening. Tap the feedback button in the app or email us at feedback@chipon.io.
