Slashdot Mirror
Google Maps Directions Adds Real-Time Traffic Estimates
First time accepted submitter constpointertoconst writes "If you use Google Maps to calculate directions, you may now notice (if your route is covered by their traffic data) an 'in current traffic' travel estimate for current route. Some may recall that Google Maps had a similar estimate in the past, but it was removed last year due to poor accuracy."
No they're not. It is just the classic Google Maps "get directions" feature, but with realtime traffic estimates. Suppose your comment was just a way to bash Google.
Actually, what I think the parent is worried about is how Android navigation might provide information to Google, and from a programming point of view it seems entirely possible (and even sensible) to correlate map tile request frequency with traffic flow (I assume Android navigation fetches new map tiles as needed). So, conceivably Google could collect and archive information like 'john.doe@gmail.com's mobile phone is travelling at 90 mph along the Interstate' if you use Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.
On the other hand, it's my understanding that traffic data is purchased from companies like transport companies who fit their trucks with GPS for realtime logistics purposes (I've sometimes seen alerts for traffic queues on empty roads where there are transport lorries parked by the roadside). These days traffic data is also reported by modern Sat Nav units (e.g. http://consumerist.com/2011/04/tomtom-sold-speeding-data-to-police-cops-used-it-to-bust-drivers.html ) and as said maybe Google can harvest a bit of traffic data from their Android sets as well.
Whether we like it or not, companies like Google buy and harvest traffic data from misc existing sources, and use this data to propagate their results. Those drivers who knowingly or unknowingly share their traffic data will help those of us who just want to avoid being stuck in traffic.
Wouldn't that just piss of the other drivers? Why on earth could one want to stick to those ridiculous and arbitrary limits?
Options:
(1) Piss off other drivers;
(2) Increase chance of killing people.
Yeah, I'll go for (1), thanks. But please feel free to fight like some neanderthal religious nut against the laws of physics/biology and explain to us why collisions at faster speeds aren't much more likely to cause serious injury or death.
then Google users would unwittingly create said traffic conditions. It actually presents an interesting problem in optimization. Suppose that car GPS installations begin to feature the Google Maps traffic estimation. Not only would people unfamiliar with an environment be compelled to use the new feature but even those who are regular auto commuters. Those who wish to save time getting home would all be directed along the same main roads which at the time would report lower traffic. These users would, however, in turn create traffic on those same roads that originally looked so appealing. Unless the units could communicate with eachother to distribute drivers evenly along roots with approximately equal favorable traffic conditions, a system like this would present problems if it were to become sufficiently ubiquitous. It is related to the problem with automated trading systems on the stock market. Many systems at holding companies would observe that a stock has crossed some critical threshold and would begin to buy or sell in vast quantities automatically. The resulting change in value does not contribute to the market's ability to allocate capital, but instead is just a fluke resulting from a Boolean algorithm. All I'm saying is... this traffic business may cause unforeseen issues.
Why not? I turned it on, and I hope more people do too. In my area the traffic estimates are dead accurate and updated constantly. There's no easier method of aggregating this data accurately than crowd sourcing devices which communicate with you anyway.
By the way, you're welcome.
Options:
(1) Piss off other drivers;
(2) Increase chance of killing people.
Yeah, I'll go for (1), thanks. But please feel free to fight like some neanderthal religious nut against the laws of physics/biology and explain to us why collisions at faster speeds aren't much more likely to cause serious injury or death.
It's the difference in speed that causes turbulence in traffic that causes the dangerous situations that get people into collisions. Dramatically slower moving vehicles become obstacles that other vehicles try to flow around. Whether they are right or wrong to do it, people see empty space and they will try to fill it up, that's the laws of psychology at work. They might be bad drivers, but they are quite predictable and you can do some simple things to not contribute to their having an accident.
Don't be an asshole driving super fast. Don't be an asshole driving super slow. Let people get over if they turn on their indicator so they don't do something stupid to get to their exit. Don't drive in the far left lane unless you're passing. Stagger your vehicle when possible so that people around you can change lanes unexpectedly. It's not rocket science, mostly basic courtesy.