Traffic reporting is the nearreal-time distribution of information aboutroad conditions such astraffic congestion,detours, andtraffic collisions. The reports help drivers anticipate and avoid traffic problems.Traffic reports, especially in cities, may also report on major delays tomass transit that does not necessarily involve roads. In addition to periodic broadcast reports, traffic information can be transmitted to GPS units, smartphones, and personal computers.
There are several methods in use today to gather traffic speed and incident info, ranging from professional reporters, toGPS crowdsourcing to combinations of both methods.
INRIX uses its network of over 175 million vehicles and devices to gather speed data frommobile phones, trucks, delivery vans, and other fleet vehicles equipped with GPS locator devices including smart phones andFord SYNC andToyota Entune and much of Europe, South America, and Africa.
Google Traffic works bycrowdsourcing the GPS information from phone users. By calculating the speed of users along a stretch of road, Google is able to generate a live traffic map.[1] Its subsidiary,Waze, also allows users to report directly via a smartphone app.
TomTom Traffic uses crowd-sourced data from mobile phone users, along with data from traditional sources such as induction loops and traffic cameras.
Monitoringpolice radio frequencies. Some radio stations have agreements with states' highway patrol that permit a direct connection with a law enforcement computer. This enables real-time information gathering of the latest accident reports to highway patrol divisions[citation needed].
Many areas havehelicopters to overfly accident scenes and other areas of high traffic volume. For example, by the companyGlobal Traffic Network.
Giditraffic is an online social service which employscrowd sourcing as its primary means of providing real-time traffic updates to subscribers. The service is delivered free of charge.
RoadPal[2] usescrowd-sourced data from mobile users as well as the social media to provide users with traffic information of places of interest to them.
Total Traffic & Weather Network is the largest provider of real time broadcast traffic information in the United States. TTWN's broadcast traffic information appears on hundreds of radio and television stations as well on a multitude of automotive and gps navigation systems throughout the United States. TTWN traffic reports reach approximately 125M commuters per month. In 2011, TTWN acquired then competitor Metro Networks for $125M, about one-tenth of the company's $1B sale price to Westwood One a decade earlier. In 2006, TTWN partnered with BMW to become the first company in the United States to bring a product to the consumer market that displayed real time traffic information on an in-vehicle navigation system. TTWN's parent company is iHeart Media Networks.
NAVTEQ provides data used in a wide range of applications, includingautomotive navigation systems for many car makers. Most clients use Navteq to provide traffic reports in major metropolitan areas throughout North America. NAVTEQ partners with third-party agencies and companies to provide its services for portable GPS devices made byGarmin,Lowrance,NDrive and web-based applications such asYahoo! Maps,Bing Maps, andNokia Maps.XM Satellite Radio andSirius Satellite Radio use NAVTEQ data to show traffic information on navigation systems.
NAVTEQ's media services was spun out to form Radiate Media in 2011, which subsequently merged with Global Traffic Network in 2016, forming US Traffic Network (USTN).
Google Maps uses a variety of governmental and private traffic reporting organizations to provide information, along with itsWaze subsidiary, which usescrowdsourcing to provide observed traffic conditions.
