Further info on this… i regularly need maps when there is no 4G and had this App recommended which i bought and can now recommend for offline Nav. Called “Mapswithme” pro version is a couple of pounds. Excellent.
The Maps App on the Iphone and Ipad has saved me from a lot of time sat in traffic jams this summer, particularly since the recently added “Show Traffic” function. I am aware you can buy some of this functionality but this is FREE! And I suspect it will be available on Android devices?
When you switch on the “Show Traffic” function (bottom right hand corner of the App) you get real time traffic movements or more specifically long red dashes to depict stationery traffic or red dots to show very slow traffic. By accessing this info before you set off on a particular leg of a journey means you can plan around the jams, especially those that lock you onto a motorway for hours, e.g. the bomb hoax chaos that caught up the users of the M25/Dartford tunnel last Friday for about 6 hours. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24001785
Interestingly enough we have found that when you have a passenger/navigator who can view this info while you drive, the displayed info is more reliable than the overhead signs and the BBC traffic reports, who knew nothing of the Doncaster jam we were about to join. We also noticed on the M5 last night that as the traffic clears, the App reacts instantly, presumably taking a feed from the traffic involved? (Don’t ask me how, but it works).
Another feature of this app is that where there is an incident or a planned roadwork, there is an icon telling you what the incident is and when it will be over. Also this info is lane sensitive i.e. you can see whether it is the north or southbound carriageway or both.
Hope this helps you and please do NOT access this while driving for all our sakes, we don’t want you to be the cause of the jam! Safe driving to you all.
P.S. having driven 700 miles this weekend, I was aware of road users being more lane conscious since the July law changes. Anyone got any other time saving tips, send them over and thanks for visiting. Richard Rymill Technology enthusiast and Smartsheet Consultant. richard@skillsfinder.info
