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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:20 pm Post subject: Time penalty on u-turns
Hello all,
I received some interesting information from TomTom support today that might interest some of you. The background is that I have noticed that the routing in my home area, after upgrading from TT Navigator 6 to TT GO 720, has become very weird on locations where a u-turn would be the quickest (and safest) way to go. After long waiting TomTom today confirmed that they changed the routing algoritm in the v7 software such that it puts a time penalty on all u-turns. This change was implemented based on the fact that u-turns are apparently illegal in some countries and TomTom don't want to encourage illegal and unsafe driving. Further, TomTom had been receiving complaints from customers that the device too often suggested u-turns as the best maneuver. This reasoning makes sense in crossings where a u-turn would in fact be a dangerous thing to do, BUT this penalty is also used in crossings controlled by traffic lights, where a u-turn would be perfectly legal and safe. This leads to unnecessary long routes in cities where this kind of crossing is used frequently.
My suggestion back to TomTom was to either remove this "feature" or put a map property on all crossings where a u-turn could legally be carried out. This property would indicate if there are traffic lights controlling the crossing or not. This way the penalty could be put only on crossings where u-turns would potentially be a dangerous choice. This map property would of course be possible to change via MapShare.
Has anyone else noticed this new "feature" in the v7 software? Any opinions as to whether it's an improvement or a degeneration?
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject:
I just ignore it when the device tells me to U-Turn, I have not really noticed any difference between vs5,6 or 7 software though with respect to this issue, they are all the same in the UK.
I still get told to U-Turn at a local junction where it would be illegal (due to road signs etc), although an function to disable U-Turns would be nice, I have seen this available as an option in other non TomTom devices - Mike
I was glad to see that there was indeed one improvement in the new TomTom application (8.010): They have removed the time penalty described in this thread. This gives much better routing aroound where I live.
I also noticed that the previous routing error at the Longbridge roundabout (junction 15 of M40 near Warwick) is gone with the new application.
This gives much better routing aroound where I live.
I also noticed that the previous routing error at the Longbridge roundabout
Is your location quite correct then unless there is a Longbridge in Sweden? - Mike
Haha, that's a fair comment.
Yes, my home location is in Sweden, but I'm well acquainted with the West Midlands area and have been crossing this roundabout several times on my way to Gaydon.
I was glad to see that there was indeed one improvement in the new TomTom application (8.010): They have removed the time penalty described in this thread. This gives much better routing aroound where I live.
I also noticed that the previous routing error at the Longbridge roundabout (junction 15 of M40 near Warwick) is gone with the new application.
/Ulf
AHA - quality find mate!
This would explain why today, my everyday regular as clockwork route to work, was for the first time ever, amended to take me in a different way right at the end, via a U-Turn, where it has never done this before.
I think this is gonna cause issues for us UK users, as unlike the USA say, where they have lots of wide three lane city centre crossroad light controlled junctions, we tend to favour roundabouts.
So where u turns are suggested in the UK, invariably they are most often, illegal, or impossible.
As is mine on my way to work.
BUT, I suspect that the new Turn Restrictions feature in Navcore 8 will allow me to block this one.
A lot of work involved blocking all of them as they arise though.
I think this is gonna cause issues for us UK users, as unlike the USA say, where they have lots of wide three lane city centre crossroad light controlled junctions, we tend to favour roundabouts.
So where u turns are suggested in the UK, invariably they are most often, illegal, or impossible.
As is mine on my way to work.
BUT, I suspect that the new Turn Restrictions feature in Navcore 8 will allow me to block this one.
A lot of work involved blocking all of them as they arise though.
I understand your concern if TomTom suggests u-turns where they are not a safe option. The locations I'm talking about are crossings controlled by traffic lights, where it's perfectly legal and safe to make a u-turn. It's unfortunate that the map data doesn't contain information about traffic lights. That would create good routes in both your case and mine.
Without traffic light information in the map data the best thing would probably be if you could switch off the u-turn routing in the application at will. Maybe TomTom adds this feature in the future.
I understand your concern if TomTom suggests u-turns where they are not a safe option. The locations I'm talking about are crossings controlled by traffic lights, where it's perfectly legal and safe to make a u-turn. It's unfortunate that the map data doesn't contain information about traffic lights. That would create good routes in both your case and mine.
Without traffic light information in the map data the best thing would probably be if you could switch off the u-turn routing in the application at will. Maybe TomTom adds this feature in the future.
I hope so.
Because what I am saying is that in the absence of such data, TomTom is now suggesting a U Turn at ANY and ALL points on the map, where a road has a junction of any sort, pretty much (in the context of such a u-turn making it think your route would be quicker, let's remember, so lots of us won't even ever see this too much).
And as UK users, and perhaps your own experience here can tell you, the reality is, that only a select FEW actual places, on our roads, are suited to the carrying out of a full U-Turn.
As a result of this, v8.010 is going to be suggesting U-Turns for our routing, FAR MORE OFTEN wrongly, than correctly.
Thus why in my opinion, it was better the other way.
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