TomTom Saftey Camera Flaws

mobilejunkie

In the summer I purchased a top of the range TomTom to replace my Go (which had stood me in good stead for about 4-5 years). I had a number of issues with the new device, but each was resolved with the help of TomTom's customer support... until about 6 weeks ago.

They udated my safety cameras because of a different issue on the new machine. I found I was going past fixed speed cameras which it (and my old device) always picked up and gave warnings for without (now) any warnings. I estimate that about 40% of fixed speed cameras were no longer identified.

Having been conditioned to becoming aware of cameras because of Satnav audio warnings rather than constantly taking my eyes off the road to look for them it wasn't acceptable to find that the TomTom information was now not at ALL accurate - in fact, it was far LESS reliable than it had ever been, even though the cameras weren't new and had always registered on the device(s) up until then.

Whilst TomTom were helpful insofar as referring it to their technical team and admitting that they'd had many complaints from other customers about the very same issue, I have now reverted to using my old, smaller screen Tom-Tom and am not therefore using the live traffic and other higher functions of the new machine.

I find this appalling. Their devices are the most expensive on the market but a very basic and (to me) vital function is no longer accurate - even though it always was previously. The Live Services on the new device is only for 12 months - after that I'd have to pay extra for it - and having splashed out on about the most expensive model on the market I cannot now use it as I need to use it.

When I purchased the new model I had done some research and was aware that Tom-Tom had received a great deal of hostile feedback from its customers about 6 months earlier for technical problems with receiving satellite signals AND there was some criticism about the top of the range model for being released without all of its functions ready to use. I still went for the device because I considered them to be the best and had always been impressed with my existing (lesser) device. I now feel abandoned by Tom-Tom in that there is no sign of them solving the problem they have created and I am not therefore using the expensive device I put my faith in.

Be warned; if you have updated camera on a Tom-Tom device they will now fail to warn about a substantial proportion of well-established cameras and you could be caught out slamming on your brakes and/or with fines and points on your licence thanks to Tom-Tom. Unless, of course, you never brake the speed limit or drive on any roads with cameras (and good luck with that!).

DatabaseError

mobilejunkie wrote: »

Be warned; if you have updated camera on a Tom-Tom device they will now fail to warn about a substantial proportion of well-established cameras and you could be caught out slamming on your brakes and/or with fines and points on your licence thanks to Tom-Tom. Unless, of course, you never brake the speed limit or drive on any roads with cameras (and good luck with that!).

My bold. Unless the unit is attached to the throttle pedal I suspect said fines would be thanks to the driver's speeding?
Tomtom speed camera data database has always been a little less than perfect, Pocketgpsworld have one which is reputedly better, but since they started charging to access it I no longer know.

redux

Believe it or not, the world still provides road signs for people who can't afford a sat nav.

bod1467

I have a foolproof way of avoiding sudden braking or speeding fines due to cameras ... don't speed.

Got cruise control? Set the cruise speed to the speed limit (or maybe limit + 10% max) ... your satnav should tell you the relationship between actual speed and indicated speed - I find satnavs tend to have more accurate speed readings. In my case indicated 75 (on the car speedo) is actual 70 on the satnav.

mobilejunkie

Of course, not many people break the speed limit; and those who never do think it's fine to take your eyes off the road to look for cameras and hold up the traffic which generally is all moving faster than the speed limit. It's usually the very same people who actually slam on their brake lights when they do spot a camera - and then slow down to 10-20 miles below the speed limit before accelerating again (whilst glued to the outer or middle lane while the inner lane is clear).

Tom-Tom, naturally, is doing me a favour by charging me for a service it fails to provide (albeit at a premium price).

Deneb

mobilejunkie wrote: »

Having been conditioned to becoming aware of cameras because of Satnav audio warnings rather than constantly taking my eyes off the road to look for them

Quite right. Don't ever take your eyes off the road. You might see a sign warning you of something that requires your attention, a child about to run in front of you, or another vehicle approaching from a side turning etc.

You're not related to the woman I've just read about who fell into a canal because she couldn't take her eyes off her phone are you?

ChiefGrasscutter

I really don't understand some people:
There is a speed camera near me.....
In a 30mph zone, on one side roads and houses and a school, while there are open fields on the other.
The camera is on the field side and the housing is painted bright yellow.
The way it faces (Gatso) means that the background as you approach it is the green of the fields - so it stands out.
It is on a totally straight road on a slight downhill.
I mean you can see the sodding thing from half a mile away plus.
There are 30 mph signs, there are 30mph road markings, there are beware speed camera signs.

...yet such are drivers lack of attention to these warnings in front of them that apparantely it is the second most 'popular' camera in the county in terms of number of people caught by it while speeding!

santer_2

You could ask here, not run by Tom Tom but users.

http://www.tomtomforums.com/

Or get the speed camera database here, though more dosh to outlay

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/subscription.php

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=66856