With the bulk of business travel in the United States still done by car, avoiding traffic jams is a golden quest—all the more so these days, when an idling car burns fuel sold at sky-high prices.
But there is help out there, and more on the way.
For example, Motorola Inc. says timely information about traffic problems is already available to users of a mobile phone-based system it developed and which Avis Rent A Car System Inc. recently deployed in 57 U.S. cities.
The “Avis Assist” program operates on a standard cellular phone handset using Motorola's VIAMOTO software. For $9.95 a day, drivers can tell a live operator their destination and then receive automated vocal directions over the handset's speakerphone as the journey progresses.
Lee Callaway, director of marketing for communications services at Motorola, said the phone system has a roadside assistance function drivers can use when having vehicle trouble.
In addition, at the press of a button, the system currently will advise drivers on traffic when they encounter a problem. Later this year, traffic delay information will be fed to the driver automatically and the system will suggest an alternate route, Callaway said in an interview.
The system uses global positioning satellites to communicate, and Avis and Motorola say portability is a strong selling point. Renters of any size car can take out a phone, instead of being limited to cars that have fixed on-board systems installed, as is the case in some rental fleets.
The Avis product is available in cities that account for about 75 percent of the company's U.S. business, according to spokeswoman Susan McGowan.
OnStar, the in-the-car information and help system developed by General Motors, allows drivers to consult a "virtual advisor" for traffic and other information, with the press of a button and a verbal command.
The system carries information on accidents, construction delays and weather problems that might lead to tie-ups, and can also provide suggestions for different routes.
Ed Chrunka, chief technologist and engineering group manager at OnStar, says the "virtual advisor" has been receiving about 5 million calls a month from drivers seeking traffic and other information, such as stock quotes and entertainment schedules.
The data—available in major metropolitan areas covering about 85 percent of the U.S. population—is provided to OnStar by Metro Networks, a Westwood One company.
Metro Networks says information, updated every three to five minutes, is gathered using more than 2,000 reporters, 65 fixed-wing aircraft, 35 helicopters and thousands of traffic cameras that supply a feed to 65 operation centers in major U.S. cities.
Another detailed source of traffic information is available through XM Satellite Radio, which offers 21 channels devoted to instant traffic and weather. A driver approaching an unfamiliar metropolitan a+#00Technologies, which gets information from sensors on highways, local law enforcement agencies, cameras, aircraft and other sources.
The radio service is available on more than 20,000 Avis vehicles nationwide and on new cars, particularly those from Honda and GM, the company said. It is also possible to retrofit existing cars with a unit that connects wirelessly to radios already installed.
Hertz Corp., a Ford Motor Co. subsidiary, says its “Never Lost” system, an in-car direction and mapping tool, is not yet equipped to recognize accidents or traffic back-ups, but it is closely watching the development of technology in the field and will incorporate it into its system as soon as possible.