Most “real time” traffic reports are outdated by the time they’re delivered, or they’re so scattershot that they have nothing to do with the course you’ve set. But BMW thinks it may have a better solution in the form of a new service called Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information (ARTTI) that promises to deliver traffic info faster and more accurately.
It uses technology from traffic information titan Inrix, which supplies BMW and most other automakers as well as aftermarket navigation device suppliers and smartphone nav apps with data. The company aggregates data from DOTs and other governmental agencies and millions of “probe” vehicles and matches it with historical traffic patterns as well as live events such as concerts that can cause tie-ups.
But existing data pipelines — FM broadcast via the Radio Data System or satellite radio receivers – are the primary cause of delays in delivery of traffic information, Inrix spokesperson Jim Baks told Wired. “By the time incident data is reported and sent out over these networks, the traffic could clear up,” he says.
via Wired
