The Google Maps map service offers a variety of functions related to navigation, geolocation or trip planning. Its clearest feature is detailed and up-to-date maps that include information such as streets, roads, places of interest, country boundaries or geographic features.
Likewise, Google Maps allows step by step navigation, in such a way that it provides detailed directions to get there from a point of origin, whether on foot, by car or by bus, among other means of transportation. In itself, you can explore the world and allow you to see panoramic images of streets and places of interest.
On the other hand, it is integrated with other Google services, such as Google Calendar and Gmail, allowing users to plan trips and events directly from the application.
It has undoubtedly transformed an indispensable tool for millions of people around the world. Among its many uses is its ability to provide accurate and updated addresses in real time. Thus, you can plan your confident route, avoiding traffic, accidents or other obstacles. However, sometimes it has errors and makes us face “phantom jams”, that is, situations in which Google Maps shows traffic congestion on a road, but in reality, there is no traffic jam in the area.
“Phantom” traffic jams, one of the errors of Google Maps: how to avoid them and achieve more optimal driving
For this reason, Google Maps is developing a new function that will allow distinguish between a real traffic jam and one generated by braking, implementing a guidance speed function for drivers, which will be displayed in the app using a color code. Thus, when the green color appears it will serve to maintain the current speed; in yellow, reduce speed gradually, and in red, reduce speed immediately. This aims to solve common problems such as traffic jams
“By the time each vehicle on the road slows down and waits for the vehicle in front to accelerate, this process can repeat itself. In this way, a vehicle that slows down too quickly on a densely populated road can create half an hour , an hour or even hours of traffic,” say its creators, engineers Neil Dhillon and Tanmay Wadhwa, as TopGear explains. This, without a doubt, would reduce “ghost traffic jams”, which would also be effective in preventing real traffic jams, although its effectiveness may not be widespread.
The algorithms are based on various factors, such as congestion history at certain times of day, local events and weather conditions, and will make vehicle movements smarter and more precise.