Google Maps Live Traffic Updates

Google Maps’ live traffic updates for Australia is yet another nifty new feature to make all our lives simply too easy. Indeed, now we can plan ahead and make smarter driving decisions. As Murphy’s Law would have it, how many times have we picked a time or route to drive someplace, only to be realize too late that it was precisely what we shouldn’t have done? No longer. Clicking on Google Maps’ Traffic view, this latest technology will display colour-coded lines overlaid over the existing Google Map roads to indicate the flow of traffic. Updated every few minutes, a quick check on your mobile phone and you’ll be able to pick the fastest way home (or to the pub):

• Green – Free sailing
• Yellow – Medium congestion
• Red – Heavy congestion
• Black – Parking lot

Data is collected from motorists with Google Maps for mobile running and with the GPS and “My Location” feature turned on. Google can then use that information (anonymously) to calculate the speed of the devices’ movements and presto, live traffic information at your fingertips. And if being able to check current traffic conditions isn’t good enough, you can specify a chosen day and time of the week. This estimation is based on past information and we can only presume as they amass more data over time, this prediction may even have a good degree of reliability to it.

It is currently rolled out only in selected areas (we’ve included the links to the major cities below) but hopefully in the not too distant future and if it works as well as they intend it to, all of Australia will be enjoying some smoother driving.

• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Wollongong
• NSW Central Coast
• Sunshine Coast
• Gold Coast
• Geelong