AS EARLY AS 1910, MICHELIN SOME FRENCH ROADS. HENCE THE YOU SIGNS WHICH INDICATE PLACE NAMES, A DESCRIPTION, ROAD NUM-

Transcription

1

2 1 A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY... AS EARLY AS 1910, MICHELIN INVENTED A SERIES OF SIGNS WHICH ARE STILL FOUND TODAY ON SOME FRENCH ROADS. HENCE THE ORIGIN OF THE TWO-SIDED THANK YOU SIGNS WHICH INDICATE PLACE NAMES, A DESCRIPTION, ROAD NUM- road incidents have become standard in cities and on main roads, especially during rush hours. As a result, motorists are keen to combine time saving and comfort while on the road, making them more open to technological innovations which can make journeys easier and more enjoyable. BERS AND SAFETY INFORMATION. Initially, 30,000 enamelled signs were provided and fitted free in towns throughout France. ViaMichelin has gone a step further and now offers the option of free traffic information on its portable GPS navigation devices, ensuring that motorists are kept informed, in real-time, of traffic incidents ahead and allowing them to bypass the traffic by recalculating their route. DID YOU KNOW? A century later, over half of all Europeans own a car and the car has reshaped the European countryside. Despite improvements in equipment reliability and road safety, more time is still wasted on the road: slow-moving traffic, traffic jams and There are nearly half a million traffic jams in Britain every year. That is nearly 10,000 a week. A quarter of Britain's main roads are jammed for an hour a day. Congestion levels are forecast to grow by between 11 and 20 per cent over the next ten years. Nearly a quarter of people affected by congestion experience it every day and 55 per cent at least once a week. The cost of traffic jams to British business is 20 billion every year

3 2 FREE TRAFFIC INFORMATION, INTEGRATED WITHIN NAVIGATION DEVICES Traffic information is defined as a service which keeps motorists informed about the road traffic situation in a given area or territory. It already exists in various forms (see opposite). rely on additional subscriptions (mobile phone subscription), extra fees (from GPRS connection) or accessories. TRAFFIC UPDATES AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES The next step has been to integrate traffic information into portable GPS navigation systems to make them smart road travel companions. In addition to helping motorists find their way, ViaMichelin portable navigation devices are also enhanced with a Warner feature to alert motorists of any unexpected road incidents and then suggest the best alternative route. Well informed and well guided, motorists save precious time! The RDS/TMC format operates in all European countries. It is currently the only traffic information channel which allows motorists to receive information in their preferred language, irrespective of which country they are travelling through. BROADCAST OVER THE RADIO The traffic information service offered in ViaMichelin navigation devices is coded in TMC (Traffic Message Channel) format and broadcast by RDS (Radio Data System) on FM channels. ViaMichelin uses the RDS-TMC format for the advantages it provides: TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC INFORMATION BROADCAST SOURCES: Television channels General radio stations Motorway radio stations Websites Illuminated signs on motorways and main roads (such as ring roads round major cities) EXTENSIVE COVERAGE All motorways, major trunk roads and ring roads around major cities throughout Europe. FREE: NO ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS REQUIRED Unlike other solutions currently on the market, the traffic information service available on ViaMichelin navigation devices does not 04 05

4 3 MULTIPLE INFORMATION SOURCES PROVIDING THE BEST POSSIBLE COVERAGE The traffic information available is collected and then sent to the navigation system in your vehicle. Both written messages and audible alerts warn you of traffic incidents such as slow-moving traffic, traffic jams, accidents, road works and weather alerts along your route and in the surrounding area, enabling you to alter your route accordingly. An alternative route is automatically suggested. best possible coverage which covers most of traffic blackspots: The motorway network, trunk roads and main secondary roads For urban areas, town centre access roads and ring roads where applicable Areas affected by traffic are often concentrated around motorways, major trunk roads and urban areas. With the traffic information provided on the ViaMichelin navigation devices, you will receive the N S COVERAGE GB NL B DK D OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION IN EUROPE F CH CZ A I E 06 07

5 4 SIMPLE TO USE AND EFFICIENT YOU CAN ACTIVATE THE TRAFFIC INFORMATION SERVICE IN 3 WAYS: From Main menu, by clicking on Settings, then Navigation, and then on Traffic Info From Navigation mode, by clicking on the screen then on Settings From Plan your journey menu: click on Display a map, Map options and then Traffic Info. You can then display traffic conditions on the map. On the navigation mode screen, traffic information is shown by symbols which indicate the nature of the information and by coloured triangles which tell you the level of traffic congestion or the extent of the traffic incident. 22 symbols and over 1,400 different traffic messages are available; indicating events as varied as road works, closed roads, alternating traffic, stopped vehicle on the road, traffic lights not working, or difficult weather conditions: wind, rain, snow, fog If the TMC signal is green, the traffic information option is switched on. If it is red, it is not activated. This screen informs you of the service status: service name, reception quality, FM frequency used and radio station. 09

6 Complete list of traffic information messages with details. Level of traffic congestion. Traffic message. Click on it for more details. Orange: slow-moving traffic Red: traffic at a standstill Black: road closed Display of traffic within a given geographical area - you can choose to display (or not) the traffic conditions on your map. 10