Navigation w/ Real-Time Traffic Info

[mchastek]

The new Acura RL has a navigation system that chooses routes based partially on real-time traffic congestion. The service is provided via satellite radio.

I personally think this is a huge benefit for the consumer. I am sure we've all been stuck in traffic and were wondering if we only chose a different route, how we'd be doing.

I think this technology gives drivers of the new RL a big advantage, obviously. If these systems became widespread (which I don't think will happen anytime soon, based on the cost), we'd be faced with a much different traffic situation. If every driver had access to this information, the freeways with accidents would have less and less traffic until the commuting time became the same no matter which freeway a driver used.

Does anyone have experience with these new systems, or have an opinion of them?

[loren_parker@yahoo.com]

I would be curious to know where the data that is being utilized is coming from. I would also be curious to know how frequent updates occur to the data and whether or not the system takes into account changes in the traffic patterns as they occur. When one considers the effectiveness of current "Traffic Reporting" services offered by broadcasters (TV & Radio) I think you would be hardpressed to see this information as timely and technical. Short of a catastrophy or an extended pile-up the guidance these services provide is usually of only limited value due to the latency in the data that is being presented.

[loren_parker@yahoo.com]

I guess I am not as "sold" on the idea that the infrastructure required to capture and disseminate this information in a timely manner is in place. Traffic issues now affect more communities than just our largest metroplex areas yet information for these markets is sparse or unavailable. The satellite traffic advisories (spoken) that I see offered on Sirius Radio & XM encompass only the very largest cities. Numerous cities with >1,000,000 persons are not offered. I have not seen the new Acura RL, however the write-ups I have seen point out the limitation (as well as the need to have a XM subscription to get it to work). Until highways are built with "smart sensors" embedded to detect things like accidents, back-ups and relevant construction the operation of getting traffic information to drivers will always be a message mired with latency and accuracy issues.

Commentary on new Acura RL Navigation System:
"The standard navigation system features an eight-inch screen that's very easy to read. Incorporated into that navigation system are real-time traffic updates powered by XM radio. The feature is called XM Nav Traffic and it "talks" to the navigation system and warns the driver of such conditions as slow traffic flow, road construction and accidents. While this feature is not available in all cities, it is offered in major metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. The information is communicated to the driver via icons that appear on the nav screen. The marked highways are bordered by certain colors which indicate how fast or slow traffic is moving in that area. For example, a red line next to a highway indicates that traffic is moving slowly in that area — now the driver can use the navigation system to reroute himself around the congestion. The same is true for road construction, weather conditions or reported car accidents. The completeness and the availability varies by city, so the system is only as good as the local reporting infrastructure — as you might expect, Los Angeles has the most comprehensive information on both traffic flow and incidents."
(taken from http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=102904 )