How your satnav spots traffic jams in real timeHow your satnav spots traffic jams in real time

Navigation apps detect traffic jams by analysing anonymized position and speed data from millions of smartphones and vehicles in real time. When lots of vehicles on a stretch of road suddenly move much more slowly than usual, the system concludes there's a jam and suggests a different route.

Your satnav seems to know the future

You set off, enter your destination, and suddenly your satnav suggests a different route. Traffic jam ahead, it says. Often before you've noticed anything yourself.

Not long ago, that would have sounded almost like magic. Today it's everyday life. But there's no luck and no crystal ball behind it, just extremely fast data processing.

Back then: traffic news on the radio

Only a few years ago, traffic bulletins were the main source of information. They came from radio stations, the police or traffic control centres.

The problem:

• They were often inaccurate.
• They came late.
• They usually only covered major motorways.

By the time you were stuck in the jam, it was usually too late.

Today: millions of data points in real time

Modern navigation systems work completely differently. They draw on anonymized data from millions of smartphones, vehicles and navigation devices.

This data includes, for example:

• the current position
• the speed
• the direction of travel

No personal information at all, but enormously useful.

How a traffic jam is detected

The principle is actually simple: when lots of vehicles on a road are suddenly moving much more slowly than usual, the system immediately recognizes a pattern.

If traffic normally flows at 80 km/h and suddenly drops to 20 km/h, the logical conclusion is: a jam is building here.

This information is:

• collected,
• combined with other data sources (from traffic authorities, for example)
• and analyzed in a fraction of a second.

Why your satnav can react so quickly

What matters isn't just the amount of data, but how fast it's analyzed. Modern systems process the information in real time and send the result straight back to your satnav.

That's how you get:

• up-to-date traffic warnings
• alternative routes
• realistic arrival times

It feels as if your satnav knows the future. In reality, it just spots patterns faster than we ever could.

What we can learn from this

Navigation systems are a perfect example of how digital systems work behind the scenes. They seem simple, but they're built in highly complex ways.

The same goes for:

• web apps
• digital platforms
• data-driven decisions

The real value is created where data is collected, understood and used properly.

Our view on data-driven systems

For us, it's not about collecting as much data as possible, but about drawing the right conclusions from it. Good digital solutions help people make better decisions: quietly, reliably and at the right moment.

Want to understand how data-driven systems can be put to good use in your business? Get in touch and we'll help you develop digital solutions that create real value.