How is HD Traffic now?

matthewj · Frequent Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 751

Okay, the time for signing up to HD traffic is arriving for most of us. How is it doing?

I just followed an incident on the M6, which had a van fall over and block two lanes. The HD Traffic web site showed the time build up, then pretty much straight after it was cleared, reduce. The core data facility is pretty darn good as far as I can see.

But have they solved the stuck items yet? And what about motorway closures and other non-traffic sourced data? Are they handled yet?

(I use http://www.keepmoving.co.uk/home_jamcams.aspx to check the cameras for validating the HD traffic info.)

MrT · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:12 pm Post subject:

In my view it is the best system out there at the moment but it is still not perfect.

It does take in standard traffic information but there are still occasionally incidents which stay up too long. It always seems to take too long to open up again a closed road.

You can usually tell when it really is a closed road as there are delays around and often on the closed bit. When there is a closed sign with no sign of delays, I regard this with suspicion.

I also do not like the labelling of incidents, for example (exaggerated) if you had a one mile closure on the A1 in Cambridgeshire it would say "A1 London-Edinburgh closed 1 mile".

I also do not like the label "Axxx Accident 5 miles" as this does not define the delay. Does it mean accident traffic stopped for 5 miles, slow for 5 miles or just there is an accident on the hard shoulder affecting no one?
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PaulB2005 · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:40 pm Post subject:

pee-jay · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 06, 2005 Posts: 20

Anyone else stuck on the M1 northbound yesterday around J24/25? The road was closed for emergency pothole repairs early in the morning, and by the time I left home one lane had reopened and traffic had built up back to J21A. Absolutely no hint of it on HDTraffic. I eventually pulled off at J24 to go cross-country on minor roads, and was immediately warned of a 2 min delay at the traffic lights less than a mile from the M1 nightmare spanning 5 junctions.

I have also had 2 days of being warned of storms / bad weather with a 3 x 3 grid of symbols covering several hundred square miles, when in fact there is no problem.

I think it is fair to say that there are still some teething problems with the system!

MrT · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:09 am Post subject:

I understand it means five miles of delays, but 5 miles of delays could be five minutes or five hours. Without a duration it is almost meaningless.
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PaulB2005 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:20 am Post subject:

MrT · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:30 am Post subject:

The time is posted for most incidents but these accidents for five miles without a time keep appearing which is my concern.

If you can use the unit or the HD website there is an example there now (09:26 Sat) on the A14 between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket. A time might shortly appear but it is not there this moment. "Accident A14 Westley to Newmarket East" for 9 miles on Web "Delay 9.8M" on 940.
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Drivelux

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