[Avian]

Hi All,

Does anyone know what traffic system BMW relies on to get all their traffic updates?

How reliable is this system?

What are your personal experiences like with navigation accompanied with RTTI?

Thanks in advance

[Ronnyjoz]

It's one of those things that's hard to gauge until you get stuck in a jam. I did try running it head-to-head with my Tomtom Live once and it failed to inform me of a tunnel closure, but then so did the tomtom so fairly inconclusive! I regularly get the message "your route is being recalculated due to traffic information" but the changes are usually minor.

What I willl say though is: I no longer use my Tomtom for navigation - the BMW one is more than adequate for the task, usually picks the same routes and doesn't leave sucker marks on the windscreen. I still use the tomtom, but only to download the cheapest fuel prices en route.

My previous car had the Volkswagen satnav in it, which I foudn to be worse than useless. the BMW one is fine and so far hasn't directed me into any traffic jams...

[Avian]

Originally Posted by Ronnyjoz

It's one of those things that's hard to gauge until you get stuck in a jam. I did try running it head-to-head with my Tomtom Live once and it failed to inform me of a tunnel closure, but then so did the tomtom so fairly inconclusive! I regularly get the message "your route is being recalculated due to traffic information" but the changes are usually minor.

What I willl say though is: I no longer use my Tomtom for navigation - the BMW one is more than adequate for the task, usually picks the same routes and doesn't leave sucker marks on the windscreen. I still use the tomtom, but only to download the cheapest fuel prices en route.

My previous car had the Volkswagen satnav in it, which I foudn to be worse than useless. the BMW one is fine and so far hasn't directed me into any traffic jams...

Thanks for the info, really appreciate it Yeah I've also got a TomTom Go Live 1005 and it really works like a charm; Especially here in South Africa as there is always a traffic jam somewhere.

Hopefully when I get my BMW the Pro-Nav will work the same way as the TomTom in terms of traffic avoidance.

[westphone]

May not help much, but we use Google map for traffic info...

I trust any smart phone will just do it...

[Avian]

But the BMW system doesn't use Google map right? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[westphone]

Originally Posted by Avian

But the BMW system doesn't use Google map right? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Sorry I was trying to say that people here do not use the system from BMW altogether. We just use that Google thingie, and that may be more of a help.

[Avian]

Originally Posted by westphone

Sorry I was trying to say that people here do not use the system from BMW altogether. We just use that Google thingie, and that may be more of a help.

Oh okay I see what you saying now.

Thanks for the info.

[Provinomico]

I just noticed -late- it for the first time this last weekend, had I checked it before setting off for the way back home I could have spared 1h30m of a massive traffic jam.

I don't think it relies of google traffic information, I think it gets the info from radio station broadcasts, so it'd depend on your local stations.

[Avian]

Originally Posted by Provinomico

I just noticed -late- it for the first time this last weekend, had I checked it before setting off for the way back home I could have spared 1h30m of a massive traffic jam.

I don't think it relies of google traffic information, I think it gets the info from radio station broadcasts, so it'd depend on your local stations.

Thanks Provinomico, much appreciated. At least you know about it now than having to sit through a traffic jam again.

[Ronnyjoz]

Originally Posted by Provinomico

I don't think it relies of google traffic information, I think it gets the info from radio station broadcasts, so it'd depend on your local stations.

That's just plain old TMC, which it defaults to if you don't have a ConnectedDrive account (or if it can't find a mobile signal). RTTI is a bit more sophisticated than that, and works in a similar way to tomtom HD traffic. One of the things it does is take into account the current speed of all the other RTTI-equipped BMWs on the road, and anybody on the Vodfone network (in the UK). What I can't vouch for is its accuracy. It's one of those things: if it's working well you have no idea if it's working. It's only when it gets it wrong that you'll notice.

[Provinomico]

Originally Posted by Ronnyjoz

That's just plain old TMC, which it defaults to if you don't have a ConnectedDrive account (or if it can't find a mobile signal). RTTI is a bit more sophisticated than that, and works in a similar way to tomtom HD traffic. One of the things it does is take into account the current speed of all the other RTTI-equipped BMWs on the road, and anybody on the Vodfone network (in the UK). What I can't vouch for is its accuracy. It's one of those things: if it's working well you have no idea if it's working. It's only when it gets it wrong that you'll notice.

Understood. So RTTI is a service provided by BMW, which mix it's own information available from others cars using the same service@your location (kinda like waze does for free), with info broadcasted through radio stations? I didn't have tethering activated on the phone, so in my case last weekend, it did reverted to just TMC info. I don't think RTTI would be an improvement here though, not enough connected drive-rs

[GeoBem007]

I had the opportunity to see it work.

I needed to go from work to a race equipment shop in the evening traffic. The standard route over the highway and on the ringway of Antwerp was super jammed. Nav showed the route and also showed an extra +67min of travel time due to traffic. And I assume it was correct, as it was about what they said on the radio traffic info.

A couple of minutes later, the extra time was gone and the distance to destination was different. It had calculated me an alternative route, a more direct and shorter route skipping the jammed highways.

Same thing on the way back. There were still quite some traffic jams and it gave me an alternative routing. Unfortunately, on the way back the nav was not aware of some road works in city centres, which closed of the route it wanted me to take

[Avian]

Originally Posted by Ronnyjoz

That's just plain old TMC, which it defaults to if you don't have a ConnectedDrive account (or if it can't find a mobile signal). RTTI is a bit more sophisticated than that, and works in a similar way to tomtom HD traffic. One of the things it does is take into account the current speed of all the other RTTI-equipped BMWs on the road, and anybody on the Vodfone network (in the UK). What I can't vouch for is its accuracy. It's one of those things: if it's working well you have no idea if it's working. It's only when it gets it wrong that you'll notice.

As long as it's similar to Tomtom HD Traffic because that works like an absolute charm here in S.A

[Avian]

Originally Posted by GeoBem007

I had the opportunity to see it work.

I needed to go from work to a race equipment shop in the evening traffic. The standard route over the highway and on the ringway of Antwerp was super jammed. Nav showed the route and also showed an extra +67min of travel time due to traffic. And I assume it was correct, as it was about what they said on the radio traffic info.

A couple of minutes later, the extra time was gone and the distance to destination was different. It had calculated me an alternative route, a more direct and shorter route skipping the jammed highways.

Same thing on the way back. There were still quite some traffic jams and it gave me an alternative routing. Unfortunately, on the way back the nav was not aware of some road works in city centres, which closed of the route it wanted me to take

That's great to know, thanks for the info