Skip to main content

TomTom enhances HD Traffic for government and business

TomTom has released the latest version of its HD Traffic real time real-time traffic information service, TomTom HD Traffic 6.0, which the company says offers more precise information about roadworks, road closures and jam locations, helping drivers reach their destination faster. The service includes two new congestion forecasting features, which indicate whether a jam is growing or dispersing and estimate how long congestion will last. HD Traffic 6.0 reports the locations of traffic jams on highways up to
October 26, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
1692 TomTom has released the latest version of its HD Traffic real time real-time traffic information service, TomTom HD Traffic 6.0, which the company says offers more precise information about roadworks, road closures and jam locations, helping drivers reach their destination faster. The service includes two new congestion forecasting features, which indicate whether a jam is growing or dispersing and estimate how long congestion will last.

HD Traffic 6.0 reports the locations of traffic jams on highways up to fifteen times more precisely then industry-standard Traffic Message Channels (TMCs) and identifies 6 per cent more closed roads than HD Traffic 5.0. The service also uses information from GPS data sources to correct roadwork reports received from official sources. This means drivers are less likely to be routed via shut roads, avoiding unnecessary detours and frustration.

The latest version has two new functions which provide the user with traffic forecasts. HD Traffic 6.0 analyses congestion trends to indicate whether a particular traffic jam is growing, stable or dispersing. It also estimates how long the congestion will last. In the automotive and consumer connected navigation space both features are highly useful for more accurate routing and ETA calculation. Government organisations can benefit by using the new features for improved active traffic management.

"We're delighted to bring the enhanced version of HD Traffic to government and business," says Ralf-Peter Schäfer. "With improved road information, drivers can get to their destinations even faster. And with the new traffic forecasting features, government organisations can more effectively decide how to deal with congestion. This might be by using signs to reroute traffic, controlling traffic lights or, indeed, if the jam is dispersing, not taking any action at all."

TomTom HD Traffic has recently been re-accredited by the TÜV SÜD Group, for providing highly accurate and precise jam information on highways, A-roads and all main roads. Tests in Germany confirmed that traffic jams reported by HD Traffic 5.0 are accurate in 91% of instances.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • GPS delivers Rhode Island’s real-time travel information
    February 13, 2013
    The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is to expand its real-time travel information to include route 114, enabling motorists travelling on route 114 north in East Providence to view travel time estimates to I-95 and T F Green airport via the Department's existing electronic message board on route 114 north. Travel times are currently displayed each weekday on fixed overhead and portable roadside electronic message signs on I-95, I-195, and route 146, and complement other RIDOT travel plannin
  • Positive incentives an alternative to road user charging?
    February 1, 2012
    The Netherlands has been looking at incentivising rush-hour avoidance. The intention is to better understand road users' motivations and find alternatives to congestion charging. Something significant needs to happen if we are to adequately address the traffic congestion and other issues caused by the ever-rising numbers of vehicles on our roads. Congestion or distance-based charging is seen as one way of managing demand and raising revenue for improvements to transport infrastructure. However, charging is
  • ITS needs continuity at the policy-making level
    February 1, 2012
    ITS needs to be sold to politicians in plainer terms and we need to be encouraging greater continuity at the policy-making level says Josef Czako, chairman of the IRF's Policy Committee on ITS. At the ITS World Congress in New York in 2008, the International Road Federation (IRF) held the inaugural meeting of its Policy Committee on ITS. The Policy Committee's formation, says its chairman, Kapsch's Josef Czako, reflects an ongoing concern over the lack of deployment of ITS technology on roads in anything li
  • Improved traffic information from Inrix
    November 22, 2013
    Inrix XD Incidents is a breakthrough in traffic intelligence, according to the company, which says it reports more accidents, road closures and other incidents across significantly more roads in more countries and at much greater speed than ever before. Inrix XD Incidents detects accidents and road closures faster by automatically correlating real-time traffic flow data with information from nearly 400 public and private sources including media partners, departments of transportation, emergency responder