How Does GPS Detect Traffic

How Does GPS Detect Traffic? – Traffic Prediction Explained

GPS systems are one of the most important tools we have today.

Through these devices, we can know our position on the earth with incredible precision but also know where there are roads, places, objects, and anything else.

Nowadays, it is easier to find or get to a place without getting lost just by utilizing a GPS.

But, the tool has also evolved to provide other features such as detecting traffic, so we can be aware of how congested the roads are to decide to take another route and save time.

But, how does GPS detect traffic?

GPS, From The Army To Your Device

Although it is a very useful tool, some things are impossible to predict such as accidents on the road, weather consequences, or lane closures, so it is necessary to have other tools.

A Global Positioning System (or GPS) is a satellite system launched by the United States Department of Defense in 1978 for military purposes.

But then in the 80s for civil use, so many applications can make use of the system.

The system does not provide traffic information, so are the companies who must establish their methods to detect the traffic.

How Does GPS Detect Traffic?

How Does GPS Know When There is Traffic

Let’s think for a moment about a busy highway: its speed limit, its notified closures, cameras on the road, sensors, and other GPS users stopped on the highway.

Different companies use characteristics like these to predict traffic on a road and establish an algorithm that allows defining whether there is traffic on a road.

Of course, these methods can vary depending on the company; some even use their cars on the road or use external information such as traffic reports provided by radio stations, local governments, or people.

The goal is to provide accurate and real information on local traffic.

So, how does GPS detect traffic?

They do it through different methods that vary depending on the company to establish a precise algorithm. Whether it is the type of road, its intersections, speed limit, and external information or even collected by the companies themselves because they know that they have many users who depend on accurate information to be able to get to a place on time or avoid a busy road because nobody likes to wait hours in traffic.

When it comes to predicting traffic, companies are very resourceful, providing accuracy and confidence.

Technological advances, new satellites, and the development of artificial intelligence will undoubtedly contribute to the existence of new, even more, precise methods in the future to determine traffic on the road.

So to know if there is traffic on a road, GPS units collect and use all possible information.

The next time you ask yourself: how does GPS detect traffic?

Remember that there is a great team working so that you can receive good information about the traffic in your locality, and you can arrive on time to your destination avoiding the annoying traffic.