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Computerized Navigation Systems to the Rescue

Posted by michael on from the where-do-you-want-to-go-today dept.

Rhys_Lewis writes "There is an article in Newsweek discussing the advantages of traffic avoidance systems in big cities around the world. I can't help thinking that it would be cheaper to subsidise in-car satnav units with traffic avoidance than building new freeways. Surely it makes sense to interactively route traffic than to keep building passive roads?"

2 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Computerized Nav Systems by DrFlex · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What's gonna happen when advertising hits these things?

    Your car drives you directly to the nearest McDonalds!

  2. And they assume, of course... by Incoherent07 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    that people won't get fed up with the stupid things and turn them off. From the article, about 10% of drivers in Japan use the navigation systems. The other 90% are still clogging up the freeways, even if Americans turn out to be as gadget-happy as the Japanese (which wouldn't surprise me).

    So, to answer the question in the article, not unless you can force people to USE the satnav units. I for one have used one a few times (in rental cars mostly) and found it incredibly annoying.

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