TomTom Navigates Changes to Traffic Data in the Age of COVID-19

The ripple effects of the global pandemic are vast. The rightful overarching concern is public health, but there are everyday practicalities that, when disrupted by COVID-19, also affect the masses.

Restrictions, closures, and general changes to road networks happen at a rate of 15% per year in the best of times.¹ The global pandemic has rapidly upped the ante and disrupted traffic data. In an effort to contain the virus, various levels of government have imposed measures that directly impact roadways — and the drivers and fleet managers that rely on them.

The modifications range from relatively minor street narrowing to accommodate social distancing to full border closings and complicated rerouting, but the degree of change isn’t the primary issue. In a world connected to and through digital mapping, keeping up with the changes and adjusting map data accordingly present GIS headaches.

TomTom Rises to the Challenge

Having the right data displayed at the right time is the cornerstone of digital mapping — and a TomTom promise, even amid the havoc of COVID-19. TomTom traffic data is carefully curated, managed, and seamlessly shared across navigation devices, APIs and apps around the clock internationally. The result of this proactivity is products that are ideal solutions to the immediacy of need driven by the pandemic:

• TomTom Real-Time Traffic: More than 600 million drivers in 79 countries entrust their safety and schedules to TomTom Real-Time Traffic to navigate routes temporarily or permanently altered by pandemic-related regulations. Updated every 30 seconds, drivers won’t miss important information about any road network they’re traveling, including changes related to COVID-19 precautions.
• TomTom Road Event Reporter: An intuitive interface, TomTom Road Event Reporter allows for real-time entry of parameters surrounding affected roadways — be it closure, blockade, or other cause of congestion including pandemic-related rerouting. Feedback loops allow for verification of entry accuracy, and TomTom has system checks in place to provide an added layer of publication protection.

“New normal” now seems almost cliche, but it truly speaks to the times we find ourselves in. Adjusting to what COVID-19 has redefined transcends health, and what that means moving forward is best met with proactive solutions. Find out how TomTom traffic data can help you navigate through the changes. Contact ADCi today!

SOURCE
1TomTom, Coronavirus on the Map: How TomTom Digitizes Temporary Road Changes, June 12, 2020