Independent study confirms accuracy of TomTom traffic

ANN ARBOR, USA: An independent benchmarking study, into the accuracy of traffic jam information provided by after-market navigation systems in the US 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 percent and 66 percent of all jams accurately, compared to 52 percent for Google, 38 percent for Inrix. The Garmin navigation devices tested reported 22 percent and 4 percent of jams accurately.

* TomTom also achieved the highest score (76 percent) when looking specifically at jams on highways. TomTom reported 86 percent of large highway jams accurately and did not miss any of the measured jams in this category.