An independent benchmarking study, published on Monday, into the accuracy of traffic jam information provided by after-market navigation systems in the U.S. has concluded that TomTom’s iPhone Navigation App and GO 2535 Portable Navigation Device provide the most accurate real-time traffic data, when compared to a number of competing products.
The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) undertook a ‘jam hunt analysis’, using six popular mobile apps and GPS devices to analyze the accuracy in reporting traffic congestion and incident data. TomTom achieved the highest scores by accurately identifying the most jams and having the lowest error rate compared to the competition.
“By driving through the same traffic jams with each device simultaneously, our study identified the accuracy of each GPS system in reporting congestion, with varying results across the board,” said Bruce M. Belzowski, Assistant Research Scientist from the University of Michigan. “Overall, TomTom’s device and app reported the most accurate traffic information.”
The ‘stuck in traffic’* study concluded**:
- TomTom’s GO 2535 PND and Mobile App 67% and 66% of all jams accurately, compared to 52% for Google, 38% for Inrix. The Garmin navigation devices tested reported 22% and 4% of jams accurately.
- TomTom also achieved the highest score (76%) when looking specifically at jams on highways. TomTom reported 86% of large highway jams accurately and did not miss any of the measured jams in this category.
“The findings from The University of Michigan’s study clearly show that TomTom Traffic devices provide drivers with more precise traffic information, enabling faster journeys, more accurate arrival times, and an overall smarter navigation experience,” said Charles Cautley, Managing Director of TomTom Automotive.
Full details of the study can be found at: http://umtri.umich.edu/what-were-doing/news/umtri-report-analyzes-real-time-traffic-capabilities-personal-navigation
