Are Traffic Updates worth it?

[welshgasman]

I'm planning on replacing my aging Garmin i3 units with a reasonably modern unit. At present it is either a nuvi 1410 or 265WT.

The former has lane guidance and the latter lifetime free traffic updates.

I've managed to get by without lane guidance up until now, but thought the traffic updates might be worth having, as long as they actually work well.

Today I got stuck in a jam in Crosshands, but managed to take another route due to local knowledge and eventually the i3 gave me directions to the route I was taking. A lot of the time it will try and get me back on the original route.

So opinions please, and does anyone have traffic updates and how reliable are they. There was no traffic update on the radio for this jam today.

TIA

[PaulB2005]

I find them pretty good on the TomTom. I've been guided through London from the M1 to the M23 with no issues where it would have taken longer to go round the M25 due to accidents and roadworks. I've been guided on long country lanes running through country side in Leicestershire avoiding a hold up on the M1. It's not 100% but i'll take it...

Some, who maybe drive more than i do, don't.

It's a personal experience and difficult to guage i think unless you know how accurate ALL the data is ALL the time. Personally i think the more you drive the more likely you are to find a time when you are disappointed and are more likely to forget the successes......

[welshgasman]

Thanks for the reply Paul.
I eventually settled for the Garmin 1490LMT which has lifetime map updates and traffic.

Will just have to see how it performs.

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