Google Maps - how accurate is the traffic feature?

JustAnotherSaver · 17 May 2018 at 11:12PM

Meant to ask this last week. Friday seems to be a bit of a nightmare to hit the motorway according to Google Maps - red lines everywhere. Last Friday for the first time i drove with Maps open and the A road was green. I was surprised as for the 6-7 mile drive to the motorway junction it was quite slow. 50-60mph and we were doing 30-40, a lot of traffic on the road. I would've expected it to have been orange lines for the road we were on but nope - it was green.

I thought well if this is considered green and the motorway is marked up as red and dark red then i'll be avoiding that!!

How quickly does it updates, how accurate is it, how does it collect its data (does the app need to be open? I'd doubt it as i can't see everyone having Google Maps open as they drive).

System · 18 May 2018 at 2:05AM

Usually once every 5-10 minutes, it isn't infallible - no system is.

You don't want to be on the motorway network any time after 9pm. There are full overnight road closures and all but one lane closures on several stretches of pretty much every single motorway and major trunk road.

marlot · 18 May 2018 at 6:49AM

I remember listening to an interview with someone on the software team. The average speeds come from other google maps users who are further down the road to you. Their algorithm somehow filters out delivery drivers who are stopping regularly.

I've usually found that red = stationary traffic.

Browntoa · 18 May 2018 at 6:53AM

I thought Google maps now updated from live traffic from the Waze app , that they own , at least in part . It may also use live tracking from Android phones .

I tend to use the Waze app for live traffic and live reroutes as I'm not sure if there is a lag in updates between it and Google maps

CardinalWolsey · 18 May 2018 at 8:26AM

No need for Google Maps to be open to feed Google the data it needs - which means it is Android users and only those Apple users that are running Maps (or other Google services on their iPhones and have agreed to share the data). This means that it is usually astonishingly accurate - I've been on a random back-road in the past and my route 1/2 a mile ahead has changed to red; sure enough we get there and someone has just had an accident, causing cars to start backing up.

In the OP's original question, I would have expected that road to have been marked orange as well - as per Google's own guidance - https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3092439?hl=en

Green: No traffic delays.
Orange: Medium amount of traffic.
Red: Traffic delays. The darker the red, the slower the speed of traffic on the road.

But I wonder if it takes in to account average traffic volume/flow - and if the overall average speed for that section of motorway at that time of day is 40mph, is stays green?

neilmcl · 18 May 2018 at 8:27AM

Have you tried using the Waze app instead?

Stoke · 18 May 2018 at 9:56AM

I've found it's pretty good most of the time. Better than TMC which I had in my previous car only covered major roads, or so it seemed.

Browntoa · 18 May 2018 at 10:01AM

I've had great experiences with Waze in emergency , it's diverted me through back roads in areas I do not know and got me back on route with minimal delays as it's always looking for the quickest route . It also warns you about major accident's and delays further down the planned route and gives you the option to reroute there and then , or you can leave it to take it's own decisions

caprikid1 · 18 May 2018 at 10:25AM

I have to say I did not really like the Waze app, did not like the routes or the traffic information.

Big fan of google maps. Find the traffic pretty good on the whole.

almillar · 18 May 2018 at 12:46PM

I use Waze all the time. I've got to the stage on my commute that I know what way it'll want to take me, and that if it changes that route, there's something to avoid, so I follow it.
The thing with this kind of information, crowdsourced, that Google also uses, is that you need someone to GET STUCK in that traffic in the first place, for it to get back to the servers, and then out to your phone. You could always be the first user there. And conversely, the traffic could clear quite quickly, but it might still be marked as 'slow' for a while afterwards when it's actually fine.

giraffe69 · 18 May 2018 at 4:07PM

Up to yesterday I'd have said Google traffic was pretty much 100% but last evening there were 3 road closures on my route. It knew about the last one which is every night for two weeks but the first two which were motorway and trunk roads and likely only that evening were not shown and if you weren't local the second might well have caused significant inconvenience as there were no signs or indication as to what to do.

Google Maps - how accurate is the traffic feature?

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