Avoiding Traffic

[fenechy]

Hi All,

My first post here and first time dabbling with Skodas. Firstly I'd like to say how disappointed I am at this forum. Having mainly spent time on tech forums where lonely computer geeks explode into trollish rants at the simplest of things, I see no such behaviour here. Not one stupid question has been shot down in flames and I've yet to see any posts shut down by moderators because 2 people had, wait for it, a difference of opinion! Skoda drivers are clearly far to relaxed and happy with their cars and lives to understand how forums work. Anyway, with that said I shall now ask my question with a heavy heart, knowing that the likelihood of being told I'm an idiot is as likely as Clarkson having anything good to say about the Superb.

So, I'm waiting on an L&K estate which I will be leasing from Jet at a very reasonable rate. Having never had a new car I'm ever so slightly excited! But my tech demands always lead me to a slight bit of disappointment as whatever area of technology it is, we're never quite as far forward as I wish we were. My concern is the satnav. For me, the most important feature of satnav is to warn me about traffic jams, police, accidents, small pieces of plastic in the hard shoulder and maybe ghosts on the road at Halloween (that one is a nod to other Waze users).

I know the Columbus has TMC but I'm not hearing the best things about it. What I'd love is if Apple Car Play allowed Waze to work or even if the Columbus system could tether to my phone and get data updates about traffic to supplement TMC. I drive into London a lot and Waze does an excellent job of taking me the quickest route. Very seldom am I much later than the estimated ETA. I know I can use Apple maps through CarPlay but I'm not convinced that works too well either. For example, when I left work last night Waze gave me an eta of 5.25pm. Apple maps said 5.08pm. Pretty sure if I'd listened to Waze it would have got me there close to that. I listened to Apple instead and got home at 5.50pm

Question is therefore, how do the rest of you (people who like me value not sitting in traffic) do things? Do you just go with TMC and enjoy watching TV in the traffic or flick between Apple maps and Columbus or do you - shock horror - have your smartphone in a cradle and still use Waze?

Answers and insults anxiously awaited. Thanks all.

[fj604]

Google Maps gets traffic and accident alerts from Waze and that works wonderfully with Android Auto.

TMC works as well but nowhere near at Google's level of detail.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Custardmonkey]

I use Waze on my phone and only rely on the built-in system when I have no signal. The experience should improve when it eventually joins Android Auto, but I'm not sure if Apple will incorporate it into their car play.

[azAZ9@]

How dare you put such a reasonable post on here!!! Our members are proud of their ability to take offence at any ridiculous suggestions such as you have made. I trust you will behave more appropriately in the future.

[fletchem]

Waze is coming to AA very soon - LINK

[dstev2000]

I very much doubt us fruit phone users will get Waze any time soon. Obviously Google owns it as it integrates into some of the traffic data you get on Google Maps. 

 

As as already been said before, It's coming to Android Auto very soon but don't expect to see it coming to Apple Car Play. What I tend to do is check Google Maps before setting off to miss the worst traffic snarl ups (I too drive in and around London often), I also check the TMC data on the Columbus unit as well.

 

I've tried Apple Maps on CarPlay but I don't like the interface one bit. It's not intuitive and the traffic data isn't as accurate as Google's. It's getting there but still has a 'waze' to go (you're welcome). 

 

I also hope Apple overhaul the overall CarPlay experience when they release iOS 10 sometime in September. Again, I'm not holding my breath.......

 

I find the TMC system is pretty crap woefully slow at updating new issues on the road as well as clearing down older issues that have been dealt with. 

 

I generally know which routes are best and tend to stick with them. The M3/A316 is an excellent route into London after about 0930, for example  :p

 

Failing that, sit in the traffic and look smug in your shiny new car. 

[fenechy]

Thanks guys. Never heard of Android. What's that?! (Yes, I am one of those stupid Apple fans who even in the face of complete incompatibility with anything other than Apple products hangs on to my ithings for dear life! Hopefully the iPhone will work with the Apple Car when it comes out...)

So yes, I hear you all. It's not looking good basically. Oh well. I didn't buy it for its satnav. At least I can watch movies now as I queue for the Blackwall Tunnel.

[FelisBengalensis]

The big issue with TMC is it relies on services such as the Police to provide updates and when last I looked into it only updates every 20 minutes or so. I keep a separate Garmin SatNav with a -D type number as this uses DAB for traffic data and runs in a 30-sec update cycle. It has pretty much always got current data that TMC is still waiting to get.

It may also be down to the low (by comparison) data rates that the VHF FM analogue voice service that TMC piggybacks onto allows compared to the relative ease of adding a data stream into an existing digital system with no corruption to the audio.

[MartiniB]

have your smartphone in a cradle and still use Waze?

yes, no better way right now

 

 

I very much doubt us fruit phone users will get Waze any time soon. Obviously Google owns it as it integrates into some of the traffic data you get on Google Maps.

tunnel isn't as dark as you describe

i'm in Waze's beta system and can say Androd versions delays about two-tree months after iOS betas

i guessing it isn't cause owner Google, but maybe project developers use fuitPhones