Sat Nav - Traffic Info

[Road Trip]

I have noticed recently that my sat nav system alerts me of traffic hold-ups and deverts me around the congestion.

Just wondered if this is a standard feature, and how it works?

 

[pvr]

Standard via TMC. If you put the setting on dynamic, it does it automatically without asking. Otherwise it gives you the info and offers you the choice.

 

[gannet]

Not all the systems have it as standard... I use TomTom Traffic on mine which is IMO better than the TMC - A colleague of mine and user of the TMC alternative was astonished by the amount of information mine was giving me compared to his

 

[Road Trip]

Do you have to pay for this feature with TT?

TMC? Is that the traffic master system?

 

[cj10jeeper]

No they are different:

Traffic Message Channel (TMC) is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to drivers. It is typically digitally coded using the FM-RDS system on conventional FM radio broadcasts. It can also be transmitted on DAB or satellite radio. It allows silent delivery of high quality accurate, timely and relevant information, in the language chosen by the user and without interrupting normal services. Services, both public and commercial, are now operational in many European countries. When data is integrated directly into a navigation system, this gives the driver the option to take alternative routes to avoid traffic incidents.

TMC is free too so you can't complain ( Well licenced within the initial radio price)

Traffic Master is a different and horrible system that I used to have on my X5.IIRC relies on camera on bridges to calculate traffic movement

 

[Wondermike]

No, it's by a different company. TBH we had a discussion on this before, usually you get diverted and if you can actually see where the problem would have been, usually there is nothing there. A few times I've ploughed on regardless despite TMC telling me a problem, and there has been nothing there at all, maybe an accident or minor bump that has long since cleared.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_Message_Channel#United_Kingdom

 

[gannet]

Do you have to pay for this feature with TT?

You do have to pay for the TomTom Traffic... But you also get their safety camera database for a year as well. Cost for a year is £34.95 plus any data charges from your mobile. Well worth it IMO given the amount of time it has saved me so far