How cool is TMC

[pos.k]

Went to London this week for 1st time using COMAND. Wasn't sure about trusting the TMC, as a regular on the route, assumed that I knew best, but boy was I wrong. On the way down, I went my usual route (M6 M1), but it kept telling me to go M42 M40 - but did I listen? - did I %*#@!, so I ended up waiting in a Q on the M1.

Decided to trust it on the way back, started off OK, but started to take me a way I didn't usually go.
I just couldn't help myself from doing it my way.... Again.
So I waited.... Again!

Had a few short trips since then, and trusted the advice and it's been great

ETA seems reasonable too!

 

[shakeapaw]

glad you like it,as you know it only as good as the info it recieves,after a while you get a bit peeved,when the otherhead matrix and your comand are telling you that there is a jam when there clearly isnt one and vice versa,if the traffic is flowing i ignore my comand,but use it when its clearly a hold-up

 

[jaymanek]

Yes im a convert... i never subscribed to it on my Tomtom as it was a cost option but on my Kenwood System i got the TMC receiver as part of the package... its the DOGS and would trust it completely...

 

[pos.k]

Yes, I was the same with my tom tom - never hooked it up.

I was very sceptical about TMC, particularly as I have had involvement in the past with the traffic control centre at Birmingham, from where they control all of the overhead signs.
Not sure if they run the tmc as well, but the controls for the signs are part human operator looking at cameras and part sensors in the road.

Not sure I trust it completely yet, but it's definitely growing on me.

 

[jaymanek]

realistically of course, it still needs some fine tuning as from what I have read, TMC is nowhere near as quick (to report incidents) here as it is in Germany for example... but still something worth having and if it saves you time, it saves you ££

 

[SilverSaloon]

i used to find it good on both my previous cars, however a lot of the time it told me to turn off the motorway and go a different route (no idea where i would be going or how longer it would take).... if i ignored it and carried on, i often found the traffic jam/hold up was long gone.... so it would of wasted my time if i had followed it.

most of the time it was ok though

 

[jaymanek]

yes exactly my point about the delay... often it can take a while for it to "realise" that the road is clear... not sure who's fault that is or how jams are updated..

 

[Rory]

I followed it off the M40 Northbound the other day - trouble is, so did hundreds, if not thousands, of other drivers - so all the back roads were jammed up too!

 

[pos.k]

Is that what they call too much of a good thing?

 

[Shude]

I followed it off the M40 Northbound the other day - trouble is, so did hundreds, if not thousands, of other drivers - so all the back roads were jammed up too!

TMC should predict this, generate a list of potential routes and then either pick one at random or ask you to choose

 

[prprandall51]

TMC should predict this, generate a list of potential routes and then either pick one at random or ask you to choose

Historic / predictive databases are part of the usual TMC setup but they have to be populated first - for example: the first time the M40 is closed at junction 10, the system will learn which roads then clog up. This information can then be used to guide traffic more intelligently the next time.

Trouble is, first you need an event to generate the data and then you need the TMC provider to use the predictive data.

Philip

 

[mercman1969]

WHAT is TMC and does comand 2.0 in my W163 able to use it