Of all the apps available on Android Auto, Google Maps is probably the most popular; We could even say that Google Maps in Android Auto is essential for our trips, due to the large number of functions it incorporates that can improve our driving experience.
For example, Google Maps is able to warn us of speed cameras we are approaching; or it is also able to remember where we parked the car, to easily find it with our cell phone when we return.
The new feature Google is working on has the potential to be even more revolutionary; the company wants eliminate so-called “ghost jam”but to do this, he wants us to completely trust Google Maps and follow exactly the speed it tells us.
Google Maps against traffic jams
“Phantom traffic jams” are a phenomenon that occurs when cars on a road stop or slow down as if there is a retention problem; but in fact there is no reason for drivers to behave this way.
Ghost traffic jams are even more frustrating than normal traffic jams because they have no real reason; They are not caused by accidents, or even by a large number of cars in a short period of time. These are known problems on the road, and they have their explanation (but not always a solution); On the other hand, the phantom traffic jam has only one culprit: the drivers themselves.
Google patent explains how it could eliminate traffic jams
A phantom traffic jam occurs when drivers They reduce their speed for reasons unrelated to road conditions. This can be caused by distractions (like beautiful scenery or even eye-catching billboards), or by dangerous maneuvers such as unexpected lane changes that don’t result in accidents but force drivers to take their foot off the gas, which which in turn affects passengers. cars behind.
Google knows these problems very well. Its researchers have calculated that the effect of phantom traffic jams can create delays in half an hour, an hour, or even several hours when traveling; and your solution is to use math and traffic data to avoid it.
Google patent details system that indicates a target speed in the car
The patent details a system that identifies road segments that have reached a certain level of traffic and calculates the speed at which those cars are traveling; The system would be able to send this information to vehicles approaching the congested area. Based on this information, an application like Google Maps would be able to display a “target speed” to the driver that I should continue.
This speed would be calculated based on the distance of the car from the congested area and the speed of the cars in the traffic jam, so that the driver never encounters a traffic jam; By the time we reach the area, the traffic jams will have dissolved. Phantom traffic jams usually don’t last long, so it’s better to slow down a little and not encounter them, rather than having to brake almost completely and accelerate again once you’ve passed the problem point.
For the moment, this innovation is only a patent filed by Google, but the company already has at least part of the technology necessary to make it a reality; Google Maps is now able to detect traffic jams moments and display them on the map, for example.
