Waze and SpotHero announced a cross-app integration effort to combine the pair’s separate navigation and parking aids into a unified offering.

Users booking parking in SpotHero’s app will now be able to select an option to navigate to their spot using Waze. When they arrive, users can pull up their SpotHero reservation by tapping a button on the Waze map.

The companies said making it easier to switch between their apps will help keep drivers focused on the road. Adam Fried, Waze’s global partnerships lead, added in a statement the collaboration will also more “effectively move cars off the road and reduce congestion”.

In 2017, INRIX Research found drivers in the US spend an average of 17 hours per year searching for parking, costing them $345 each in time, fuel and emissions. The company noted parking issues can also hurt businesses, with 39 per cent of drivers reporting they avoided shops due to parking difficulties.

Waze and SpotHero also teamed up last year to install Bluetooth beacons in parts of Chicago to shore up spotty GPS coverage which interfered with navigation.