WITHOUT COMPARING OR EVEN MENTIONING BRANDS I just want to know how helpful to those of you who use or subscribe to both traffic and premium traffic features on these GPS units really are. In my opinion, while the information is helpful to know what I may be getting into, it isn't much more helpful to me than that. In major metro areas, the ability to change routes can be serious curtailed or non existent due to the inability to run surface streets or enough time to react. Take LA for example. You pays your money and takes your chances when you choose a route in or out. Time you see traffic problems, probably too late to do anything but curse the ever present traffic. But that is my opinion. So I'm interested in others just out of curiosity.
love the traffic function on my gps its gotten me around atlanta quit well and chicago i usually get around 20 miles of notice about a problem. when i was coming out of tampa it warned me of a 43 minute delay and i was able to reroute up 95 around the problems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_message_channel That's the technology used. It works fairly well for what it's intended to do. Regarding the GPS receiver is another story in how it puts the information to use that it's given.
I think the traffic data is only as good as the agency or service collecting the data and reporting it. In the NY tri-state area I find the traffic reporting via the GPS to be so-so to acceptable at best of times but outside on NY I find it to be a lot more accurate and helpful.
Two GPS manufactures I know of have gone or are going to premium traffic providers, supposedly providing traffic to users outside of the metro areas. Of course this means someone needs to report issues to whatever central clearing house these providers are using to get the data to the users. Anyone think this is a good idea or not? Mark
I use a iPhone app called Waze is a GPS app that has a social component. You can report a wreck, vehicle on the side of the road, objects in the road. It even lets you reports cops. I find it very useful as a reference. Now if you are getting rerouted you might want to check with your Road Atlas to make sure you are being routed to roads you can drive on though. Anyone else use it?
