TMC (Dynamic Route planning) Yes or No?

[melv]

My wife has recently took delivery of her new C Class – very, very nice! Unlike the previous C Class Comand, the new Comand System can plan routes dynamically by using TMC data. My wife travels alot of business miles, my question is, how good is the Dynamic route planning? Would you use it? or is it more trouble than it's worth?

Any feedback much appreciated.

Melv

 

[amwebby]

I use it and it is worthwhile with varying results. Often it doesn't know about holdups or fails to calculate an alternative route. All this is dependent on the data they receive of course and perhaps the UK data isn't always up to date. Certainly when I was travelling in Germany late last year it was very good, advising me of tailbacks in advance and advising alternative routes.

It worth using as it doesn't hinder progress and may be helpful.

 

[garystu1965]

My wife has recently took delivery of her new C Class – very, very nice! Unlike the previous C Class Comand, the new Comand System can plan routes dynamically by using TMC data. My wife travels alot of business miles, my question is, how good is the Dynamic route planning? Would you use it? or is it more trouble than it's worth?

Any feedback much appreciated.

Melv

It's totally rubbish.

 

[MBManInKen]

My wife travels alot of business miles, my question is, how good is the Dynamic route planning? Would you use it? or is it more trouble than it's worth?

It's no extra trouble at all, the process is largely the same apart from selecting dynamic routing. The system will then receive and process TMC and guide you around problems.

I use it most of the time and it has certainly helped me more than once to avoid quite horrendous queues and other incidents, both here and abroad.

 

[Rory]

I don't know really - the data source seems a bit iffy to me. It uses transmitters on trucks and coaches that are stuck in delays, togther with other traffic information but I think the uploading of it is essentially a manual process.

I drove from Chester to London and back yesterday, and it's forever rerouting itself "due to current traffic messages" but you can't really see what it's doing so the diversion could be stupid. On a couple of occaisions it showed slow traffic but there was no problem.

I have let it divert me off the M40 a couple of times, and I've found myself on roads running parallel to the motorway and been able to see the motorway stopped, which is a nice feeeling! However, so many people use the diversion route that it gets jammed up too - especially at junctions not designed to take high volume traffic.

 

[garystu1965]

The system is dog slow. It shows you the congestion symbol on the screen about 15 minutes after you are stuck in the jam. On other occasions it shows congestion and yet the road is clear. It only works on motorways so it basically pants. It has never helped me once.

 

[Stratman]

I notice that my Comand has the TMC tick-box greyed out. I assume this means that the unit itself recognises TMC but that my CD doesn't have it. Would I be correct in assuming that if I bought an upgraded navigation CD then it would burst into life?

 

[amwebby]

I notice that my Comand has the TMC tick-box greyed out. I assume this means that the unit itself recognises TMC but that my CD doesn't have it. Would I be correct in assuming that if I bought an upgraded navigation CD then it would burst into life?

Yep

 

[Muppetz]

I like the TMC routing, it has helped me out many times !

 

[BTB 500]

Does TMC broadcast how long an incident will last? If not, how can you (or COMAND, or anything else) decide whether to re-route round it or not? If you are still some distance away that part of the route may be clear by the time you get there anyway!

 

[glojo]

TMC is okee dokee, there might be better systems out there but owt is better than nowt. I would guess that TMC is TMC and it makes no difference whether it's fitted in a BMW, Lexus or Mercedes. Go for it and take advantage of the advice it gives. The only time I've cursed it is when I knew best and ignored the warning it gave to avoid a route

Regards
John

 

[Muppetz]

Does TMC broadcast how long an incident will last? If not, how can you (or COMAND, or anything else) decide whether to re-route round it or not? If you are still some distance away that part of the route may be clear by the time you get there anyway!

Obviously TMC can't know how long an incident will last. Think of it as the Nav listening to Radio 2 for you and marking all the hold ups that sally traffic talks about on the map for you Once the incident is reported as clear then the marker is removed from your map and routing.

 

[glojo]

Does TMC broadcast how long an incident will last? If not, how can you (or COMAND, or anything else) decide whether to re-route round it or not? If you are still some distance away that part of the route may be clear by the time you get there anyway!

Our COMAND has warned of delays on our route but as we got nearer the warning was removed and the route showed clear on the display.

John

 

[BTB 500]

Obviously TMC can't know how long an incident will last.

Why not? I assume it's manually updated by someone ... that could include an assessment (best guess) of how long an incident is going to last.

But assuming it doesn't, I stand by my comment! Suppose your route is M1, M25, M4 and you are on the M1 when a TMC delay pops up on the M4. Do you want your satnav to dynamically re-route (which is what we're talking about) now, and take you cross-country to avoid a jam that would probably have gone by the time you got there if you followed the original route?

 

[Muppetz]

Why not? I assume it's manually updated by someone ... that could include an assessment (best guess) of how long an incident is going to last.

But assuming it doesn't, I stand by my comment! Suppose your route is M1, M25, M4 and you are on the M1 when a TMC delay pops up on the M4. Do you want your satnav to dynamically re-route (which is what we're talking about) now, and take you cross-country to avoid a jam that would probably have gone by the time you got there if you followed the original route?

You are right, they could take a guess, but I expect real life (and death) would make any attempt at guessing wildly inaccurate - how long will it take for the paramedics to effect a rescue, or the police to clear the vehicles, or record the relevant info before doing so ?

TMC is good, but is limited by the information available too it.

As I said earlier, think of it as akin to the traffic reports on radio 2 etc - the same is true there, the incident may or may not be clear by the time you get there. - but at least you are getting as much information as possible to help you make decisions on your route home.

Also TMC does know the impacted area of any incident, and so the alternative route tends to avoid that section only rather than completely send you another way.

Anyway, its all down to opinion I guess, I like it, gives me good info on what's going on either on route to wherever I am going that day. (circa 30-50k miles per year, different location everyday)

 

[glojo]

Why not? I assume it's manually updated by someone ... that could include an assessment (best guess) of how long an incident is going to last.

But assuming it doesn't, I stand by my comment! Suppose your route is M1, M25, M4 and you are on the M1 when a TMC delay pops up on the M4. Do you want your satnav to dynamically re-route (which is what we're talking about) now, and take you cross-country to avoid a jam that would probably have gone by the time you got there if you followed the original route?

From experience I have been on the M42 and have been warned of long delays on our route, namely M5 at Bristol. The dynamic routing worked out a new route but as we travelled along the M5 towards Bristol the system continually receives updates and the route reassessed. The delay must have cleared as we the route was amended back to the original.

John

 

[BTB 500]

You do sometimes get a timescale on the radio though e.g. motorway being closed for the rest of the day (say) after a major accident.

I think we are actually agreeing though that while TMC is useful information to have, you wouldn't necessarily want it to automatically re-route you ... which is what the OP was about?

 

[Muppetz]

You do sometimes get a timescale on the radio though e.g. motorway being closed for the rest of the day (say) after a major accident.

I think we are actually agreeing though that while TMC is useful information to have, you wouldn't necessarily want it to automatically re-route you ... which is what the OP was about?

Agreed, I use my judgement to either accept its re-route, or ignore it (in which case it then returns back to the original, or sets another re-route further down the road)

 

[amwebby]

In the UK TMC uses the same information supplied to AA Roadwatch by ITIS. http://www.itisholdings.com/itmc.asp The thing is I've dialled into AA Roadwatch and received information that does not show on COMAND. I don't know how it works but it is not as up to date.

I don't know who provides the information in Germany but it is far more up to date and reliable.

 

[glojo]

In the UK TMC uses the same information supplied to AA Roadwatch by ITIS. http://www.itisholdings.com/itmc.asp The thing is I've dialled into AA Roadwatch and received information that does not show on COMAND. I don't know how it works but it is not as up to date.

I don't know who provides the information in Germany but it is far more up to date and reliable.

I thought ALL TMC navigational systems received the same information via Classic FM and to receive this the manufacturer has to buy a licence?

I have been told that TMC is not the best or most accurate up todate system that's available

REgards
John