Sat-nav gives traffic jam alert

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Motorists should soon be able to benefit from a new hi-tech system which will give them advance warning of any traffic jams in the road ahead.

Scientists at the University of Portsmouth are developing a device which shares information from other vehicles’ sat-nav systems, allowing it to build up a picture of how busy roads are.

The Congestion Avoidance Dynamic Routing Engine (Cadre) relies on artificial intelligence software to interpret the live traffic information gathered from other systems. It uses this data to warn drivers of queues ahead, and give suggestions on how to avoid them.

"The system interprets live data from current traffic conditions so the motorist receives up-to-the-minute advice and can make an informed choice,” said lead researcher Dr David Brown. "It's designed to take the pain out of that agonising decision about whether to try an alternative route which could be equally congested."

The system automatically adjusts traffic speed data according to the time of day and the day of the week. It is hoped that Cadre could be on sale by the end of next year.

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