1005 HD Traffic USELESS (and now older models too!)

AndyVaughan · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:11 pm Post subject:

The Scottish Trip lyrics

Oh we went up to the Highlands of Scotland
To the land of the loch and the glen
and we'll all bring our wives back a present
so we can go next year again

We loaded the bus up with flagons
and we left about quarter past 7
we stopped 14 times between Neath and Bridgend
we were still in Glamorgan at 11

Old Will he went up to the driver
he said can you no stop this bus for a while
he said man alive, we're on the M5
you'll have to hang on till Carlisle

So Will he climbed up on the sun roof
and he stood on the bus in disgrace
he wasn't to know that that bridge was so low
but he died with a smile on his face

He was splattered all over the pavement
and his leek it was stuffed down his throat
and I heard Will's friend say
as they scraped him away
"My ticket was inside his coat"

Andy_P · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:23 am Post subject:

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JohnMulholland · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:31 am Post subject:

If he could have seen more than 40 miles ahead, he could have got into the right topic!
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matthewj · Frequent Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 751

I just updated my TomTom and watched the traffic map on my PC. It showed data all over the country, then a second or two later zap down to local only.

It's funny how heart-broken I feel about such a thing - heck, it's just a few miles less data, but HD traffic is so good, and my use is for long journeys, typically on bank holidays, and it is the main reason for buying TomTom. To find that it is being deliberately hindered is upsetting.

More so because I used to travel from here in the North to Gloucestershire and right from the start of my journey I could watch the M6/M5 junction delays grow and shrink and determine if I was going to avoid or not. Using this information, available long in advance, along with the time of day such as whether I'm setting off at 9 and it will calm down, or at 10.30 and it will get busier, I could plan alternatives, or to stop for lunch earlier, or whatever.

I now find that TomTom are for no apparent reason deciding that it is better for me to not know of such traffic that I used to have, and not worry my pretty little head about it until I've driven into it. 50 miles? That's under an hour away! Get real!

It is time for them to undo whatever they did, and give us the full service back. If it isn't a software update but a server config, then let us have it all again. I'd rather have a slower device and all the information available. You can work out how to make it clever later (perhaps removing events outside of a corridor once a route has been set - that should get the speed back). But today, let's make it better again.

DennisN · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:22 am Post subject:

Absolutely. I've just been given a job from Swindon to Lancashire and normally that's A419 to Gloucester, M5 and M6. We shall se what the M5/M6 junction looks like, because I could opt for the M6 Toll, I think.

May I suggest you get onto the TomTom Manifesto facebook page and create with Kenneth there - we're hoping to pressure them into a result this week, go there and tell him you want answers TODAY!

http://www.facebook.com/TomTom?sk=app_188572237848988
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If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

Graeme2812 · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:02 pm Post subject:

Just out of interest, is the scaling down of traffic data done on a driving distance basis or a as the crow flys basis?

The reason I as is I just checked the map and two routes planned incorporated traffic incidents at 87 and 67 miles away.

I waited 5+ minutes before routing to allow for any automatic downscaling.

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Bunty1948 · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:35 pm Post subject:

Graeme

I'm not at all sure that is actually distance related. I live in rural North Yorkshire and it would appear that my range is as far north as the A69 Carlisle to Newcastle and as far south as the M62. I have recently had traffic information as far away Liverpool 125 miles and Carlisle 85 miles. So it might be by region rather than by distance.
Personally if I'm setting out on a journey outside my "region" I check the TT web sites or the HA website for major closures if they are likely to be long term. Otherwise I let TT do the work and, so far, it has never let me down. By the time I get north or south of the region general traffic issues have changed anyway.

I know that this may not be adequate for some road users who travel long distances regularly, but I can only speak as I find.

regards
Alan

franb · Banned Joined: Aug 10, 2007 Posts: 244

Devils advocate opinion:-

Having just discussed this with a TT owning HGV driver HE reckons 50ish miles is fine because:-
1) many problems are accidents which may or may not be gone by the time he's driven the 100-250 miles to it.
2) if it offers a reroute because of an incident 100-250 odd miles away and you accept the reroute, even if the problem's gone away it does NOT then say "road is now clear, do you want to revert to shortest/quickest route (prior to the incident)" so you're stuck with the detour even when it's been cleared.

Just his opinion.

M8TJT · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:26 pm Post subject:

As a devil's advocate opinion, it's also the opinion of TT, which is apparently why they did it in the first place. But you seem to be pretty much alone here as to it being a good idea. (perhaps you don't actually think that Wink

)

matthewj · Frequent Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 751

The devil has some reasonable thoughts, but personally I would like to have the information so that *I* may make the decision thanks. Sure, the example makes sense, but that's why I mentioned that there are known bad junctions that I know of, but that the satnav doesn't. I know that at peak times the junction will be busy. But if I see it build up and up and up, then I know it is going to be bad. And then I can choose to avoid. If it was just 5 min delay all the time, I'd sit in it and be happy.

The key here is that *I* am deciding based on the information that the HD traffic system put onto my device, and the devil decided to remove without asking. I now no longer get the choice myself.

Maybe there are some users who like only seeing the road ahead and not around the corner. Maybe the full data set slows it down? Let *me* decide which option makes sense for me!

Andy_P · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject:

IanS100 · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 3:53 pm Post subject:

Kremmen · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 3:55 pm Post subject:

If you want to stay in business always listen to your customers, especially when there is competition.

I bought a Garmin because they crippled third party cameras but that's another story.
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franb · Banned Joined: Aug 10, 2007 Posts: 244

psyskiesman · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:05 pm Post subject:

I know what the thread is about and maybe I should have posted my previous reply elsewhere, but the point I was making is that without TomTom and it's inherent faults I would have taken the radio/gantry suggested detour via A470 and added 30-45 minutes to my journey, so faults and shortcomings aside, it's only fair to point out that TomTom can be the best advisor. I know through experience that whenever I am told to go round the M25 en route from Huntingdon to Southampton, I just know that once on the M25 there is always a hold up of some description which TomTom has never been aware of, even before they shortened it's radius to 50 miles, which is why I always go A14/A45,A34; 20 miles longer but 45 minutes+ quicker.

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