Traffic sensors, such as radar, are used by both private companies and government agencies to gather traffic data from highways or major thoroughfares. Yes, Google Maps monitors traffic, and it has done so increasingly over time, using a growing array of data points, both public and private. Google Maps traffic predictions and tracking While GPS technology is nothing new to Google Maps, modern applications mixed with data analytics allow us to gain more intelligence and insight from live and historical GPS tracking data. Google Maps has a good data set of what the speed limits are supposed to be, as well as data from GPS showing whether the flow of traffic typically exceeds or falls below average, and calculates an average travel time based on a combination of these factors. Your ETA will then be updated once you are en route based on updates to traffic conditions and your average driving speed. When you input your destination into Google Maps your original estimate is made based upon posted speed limits, current traffic conditions, and the distance between your starting point and destination. Google Maps also uses posted speed limits and historical traffic patterns to estimate ETA. This data informs Google’s travel time estimates by reducing the average speeds in its calculations during periods of high traffic, or increasing the average speed when conditions are clear. GPS data from individual phones is now used by Google Maps to estimate movement and speed of traffic in real time. While this calculation gives an average speed, it doesn’t take into account all of the factors that can impact travel time. For example, if the distance was three miles and the time taken was 2 minutes, then the average speed across that distance would be 90mph.
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