Google Maps

[Rod]

I know some folks have the fear of "Big Brother is watching you " with regard to Google but I find their traffic information invaluable.
I often do a school run for two of my Granddaughters - the preferred "fast" route involving negotiating the infamous M3 Jnct 9 roundabout which often is gridlocked with massive tailbacks.
For those not familiar with it, it's where the dual carriageway A34 from the North and Midlands joins the M3 at a traffic light controlled roundabout junction.
So before setting off, I always check the traffic situation using Google Maps which uses live GPS information from motorists mobile phones. (The big brother watching element).
Then I decide whether I risk the fast route, the 2nd choice slow route through town or the 3rd choice cross country single track route (with the risk of smashed wing mirrors!) choosing the wrong route could mean stuck in a 4mile traffic queue!
The Government have promised monies to upgrade the junction but I'm not holding my breath. It should have been designed as a "free flow" junction when the M3 was built - something virtually impossible now the achieve with all the development that has taken place around it over the intervening years!

Rod

 

[RogerS]

That's very useful to know, thanks, Rod.

How does it show up traffic density or bottlenecks (I'm assuming ) on Maps? Do you have to enable any settings or apply some sort of add-on?

 

[Rod]

Broken lines for minor hold-ups, solid red for queues - the red line extending for the full length of the queue at that particular moment.
To active you just click on "Traffic" in the menu top left corner ( indicated by 3 horizontal bars)
At this particular moment (19:19) - no queues on the A34 at M3 Junction 9 but then I'm not going out

Slight queue on M3 slip road and on overbridge.
Some queues in Winchester.

Rod

 

[9fingers]

Very interesting Rod.
So are they collecting data from all android phones that are on the roads or just phone users with google maps open on their phones?
I'd assume that it must be the former to get enough data.
Presumably they just use moving phones that have a recent history of travelling at reasonable speeds ie rejecting those carried by cyclists and pedestrians.

Bob

 

[RogerS]

Thanks, Rod...although curious to know how they do it, just the fact that I can see where hold-ups are it brilliant, thanks... :eusa-clap:

Bob, there's this really clever app called Google :lol:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Traffic

 

[9fingers]

Thank you Roger :lol:

I'd seen it presented as part of Google maps route planning but it is interesting to see it on the general maps.
Just looking at the roads near me, the slower traffic correlates nicely with the location of roundabouts and traffic lights.

Bob

 

[Rod]

Just remembered that Apple Maps gives the information too and if you've given the exact address of an appointment/event in Calendar it sends you a message/notification (taking the traffic into your account) telling you when to set off to arrive on time.
A message like " traffic is light but set off now to arrive in time".
It knows your location, where you are planning to go and the traffic along your route.

Rod

 

[RogerM]

This works well. I use the Sat Nav Function on google maps with my smartphone all the time now, even on familiar routes as it is great for avoiding hold ups - and no expensive subscriptions.

 

[misterfish]

I often look at mydrive.tomtom.com for traffic information. They apparently get their traffic data from Vodaphone by monitoring the movement of Vodaphone phone sims on roads and this seems to give a pretty good indication of hold ups.

Misterfish

 

[Rod]

My car's Sat Nav gives traffic information and so does my Garmin App on my phone but they are not as accurate or up to date as Google Maps - as I've found out to my cost!

Rod

 

[tracerman]

Chaps - forgive me but does this mean that , in say , the wee small hours of the morning , when presumably there's nobody about , except a lone drunk who has borrowed a bicycle to get home , he would be unwittingly the only source of info and it would look as though everything was moving at a snails pace ? assuming his phone was switched on .....
Sorry
Steve

 

[RogerS]

There's one 'error' - if that is the right word - in Google Maps and that is whether or not it decides to flag a road as red, say, seems to depend on an assumption of what the maximum speed should be.

This morning prior to setting off up the M5 to B'ham I looked at google Maps and saw that the M5 was red from J7 to J3 which suggested delays. I called 1740 but all they mentioned were road works in this area.

The reality as that there was (a) light traffic and (b) moving steadily at 50 mph through the roadworks as per normal.

 

[Rod]

[emoji3]
I think the software is a bit more sophisticated than that?

Waze another free SatNav App is good too relying on members information. I think that is owned by Google too?
It also works in the States without any downloading as I found much to my surprise a couple of years ago when in California.

Rod

 

[RogerS]

[emoji3]
I think the software is a bit more sophisticated than that?

....

Rod

Experience suggests not. Anyone looking at Google Maps would have avoided the M5 as that length of it was red. Yet traffic flowed smoothly.

 

[DaveL]

I think that the road works may well be added manually. That seems to be the case for the satnav in my Volvo, which then flags it as a slow bit of road, whatever the conditions actually are.