Satnav 's automated vehicles really dependable?

How best to settle the wrong GPS bearings situation. satnav has changed the manner in which individuals utilize the streets – yet not generally to improve things. In March 2012 the UK's Department for Transport held a Satnav Summit to talk about how to comprehend the issue of drivers following wrong headings.

Satnav and automated vehicles Accounts of drivers following their GPS indiscriminately furrowed fields, down risky inclines and crosswise over hazardous scaffolds have turned into the stuff of old stories and urban legend however as any insurance agency will guarantee you, drivers will pursue their GPS wherever it might lead, to the closures of the earth and over the edge if needs be.

Consultation on the Classification of Roads  featured the issues and outcomes of vehicle and HGV drivers following obsolete and unseemly satnav bearings.

A summit was composed by ITS (UK) and ADEPT and it was gone to by satnav suppliers, expressway specialists, the cargo business, satnav specialist organizations and guide suppliers all considering a similar aim – to enhance Satnav administrations and find better approaches to ensure drivers invest more energy in the straight and restricted and less time on twisting ways to no place.

Maps are the key to trustworthy satnav services

satnav had democratized maps by making mapping information available without the need for processing map reading skills.

Participants heard about the specific problems that councils and drivers faced as well as the latest developments that satnav companies are putting in place.

"There was a strong sense that cooperation and communication on all sides are vital to improving the situations around satnavs," said a  spokesperson. "Local authorities need to provide the right data; satnav companies need to provide the right contacts to help solve any problems; and users need to make sure that their maps are up to date and they are driving with the right equipment."

maps used by satellite navigation devices are the key to the appropriate routing of vehicles.

The obstacles preventing the most efficient and effective usage of maps included: the absence of a standard data format, the delay between authorities releasing new map data for satnav companies to use, lack of communication between parties and drivers not updating their devices and following out-of-date directions. The same set of issues exist for drivers of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), but this sector has also been notorious for using car satnav systems rather than those specifically for HGVs resulting in many widely reported accidents and financial damage as drivers took inappropriate routes across Australia

A single standard for satnav information databases  Satnav and automated vehicles

The maps that satnav companies use are updated by new surveys, reports from highway authorities and by reports from users. Different map makers require the data in different forms and the data comes in different forms, so it was agreed that a more streamlined approach across the industry – "report once, update many" – would improve the process. Suggestions made for common standards were DATEX II (a new standard for traffic-related content) and INSPIRE (an EU standard for tagging Geo-spatial data).

"The ideal process or automation for TomTom would be like what is, for example, being implemented in the Netherlands. The central government is setting up a central data bank where all governments, national, regional and local, can post their changes or planned changes in one format, and in one central place. This data bank is freely available for all commercial and non-commercial parties," said George de Boer, senior manager business development, TomTom.

The need for improved communication between parties and better leadership were also viewed as one of the most important obstacles to overcome and it was suggested that a central list of contacts named points of contact should be provided by LAs and map providers.

Formatting for freight – unique products for heavy goods vehicles

There was a time when incidents of HGVs causing damage to local infrastructure regularly hit headlines due to hauliers using car satnav systems rather than those meant for freight vehicles. However, since 2007 the Freight Transport Association has become more involved in trying to promote satnav services for hauliers – TomTom was the first.

Map data delay – quality of content depends on timeliness of satnav information

While what is happening on the road should ideally be reflected in a driver’s device this is often not the case. It was reported during the summit that TROs (Traffic Regulation Orders), changes to road numbering, road layout changes and route preferences by the highways authorities are essential to good maps but can sometimes be difficult to get hold of in a timely fashion. This can lead to situations where road signage and satnav information do not match, causing a crisis of confidence for the user who can then get into difficulties.

Individual satnav companies, such as TomTom, operate their own processes to improve the flow of map data from LAs to their devices.

"TomTom is working on a process that will allow users to get map updates every 48 hours, however this quality of the content also depends on the timeliness of the information TomTom receives from local governments," said de Boer. "Currently the information is only shared every three, six or 12 months. For big changes on motorways, TomTom needs to ask the governments for input proactively. It would save valuable time if informing companies like TomTom on (planned) changes becomes a standard process within governments."

satnav device user updating

Even if parties communicate better, the use of a standard format is implemented and the process is streamlined, effective results all depend on whether the user is updating their device. It was discussed at the summit that while the facility exists for users to update their satnav maps, it is common for this either to not occur or to occur infrequently. Reasons cited were cost, lack of understanding and inertia.

This situation is changing, however, as smartphones are now becoming more and more widespread, which provides a tremendous opportunity to easily update remotely held maps rather than ‘wired in’, in-vehicle satnav devices. This in itself will make obsolete maps less of a problem as time goes on.

Heavy goods vehicle drivers in particular need the technology to be reliable if the impact of the transportation industry on local communities, especially rural communities, in terms of noise and disturbance, damage to buildings or congestion on local roads is to be minimized."

Navigation and Mapping: Plotting the Course for the Future

Increasingly accurate GPS information has already revolutionized the journeys of millions of motorists. And now, with all the technology’s primary applications effectively covered, enhanced mapping and improved integration look set to transform the industry.