If there is one thing drivers in Kampala loath is traffic jam. For the tech savvy with some data to spare, the Google Traffic feature within Google Maps will help take traffic information such as stalled vehicles, wrecks, and road construction into account and displays it as an overlay in Google Maps.
We all know how unreliable the traffic updates on FM radio stations are when they announce de-congested roads only to reach there and find a mess of traffic jam. With Google Traffic on Google Maps, the app actually plots out multiple paths to your destination taking into account the most current traffic information or even predict future traffic.
How Google Traffic works
Google traffic has the ability to display real-time traffic which may seem like some kind of “juju” allowing drivers to use alternative routes to dodge the jam. It is actually as simple as multiple streams of data being combined into an overall outlook.
Here is what Google traffic can do;
- Notify of lane closures and roadway construction.
- Show you where traffic jam is and rates the level of traffic going from minor traffic (green) to some congestion (yellow or orange) to a major traffic jam (red).
- Tells you where accidents have occurred, which are frequent causes of heavy traffic.
The idea behind how Google Traffic is able to identify where traffic jam is, is actually not complicated. It gets data from the many Apple and Android Smartphones that we hold. Every smartphone is capable of determining its location with an high degree of accuracy by combing the data from the GPS chip inside the phone with mobile network tower triangulation. This technique of triangulation bounces a signal to multiple mobile network towers to determine the location of the phone.
This process is then replicated with almost every smartphone in every car on the roads and being transmitted to Google. That’s a ton of data being analyzed. And that’s not even the part where Google traffic does its “juju”. The real magic is Google’s ability to process this information, remove all irregularities such as a delivery truck making frequent stops, boda boda mess and then present it all back to your phone in real time.
Worried about privacy? To keep the information out of Google’s hands, just turn off location services on your device, which means you wouldn’t have access to Google Maps Navigation, either.
How Google Traffic Works when you are driving
CATION! Please don’t drive as you use your phone.
Now that we have got that out if the way, it important to tell you that the portable little GPS machines in the name of smartphones that we keep in our pockets have become one of the most popular ways to navigate the busy suburbs and streets of Kampala. KCCA is trying it’s best to name streets such that we are able to say “Directions to Lule Close in Ntinda,” is often the only thing we need to say to get pinpoint directions. We can even choose between multiple routes based on current traffic.
You can activate Google Traffic via the options menu in Google Maps or if you use an Android smartphone, you can also activate hands free while driving by simply asking Google Assistant. Here are a few phrases that work with Google Traffic when paired with the “Okay Google” command:
- “Show traffic”
- “Hide traffic”
- “Show accidents near me”
- “Show alternative routes”
- “What’s my ETA?”
- “How’s traffic ahead?”
- “How’s traffic to home?”
Always plan your Road Trip
Morning and evening hours are always the critical times. Before you leave office of your workplace, Google Maps on your laptop has a really cool feature that will help you predict traffic in the future. This is great for either a road trip or simply planning out the best way to get to your doctor’s appointment the next morning.
- Navigate to https://www.google.com/maps in your web browser.
- Click the Directions button to the right of the Search Google Maps input box on the top-left of the map. The Directions button is a blue diamond with a white arrow in the middle.
- Fill in the starting point (Namugongo) and the destination (Serena Hotel) fields to get the directions.
- Just below the starting point and destination fields is a drop down menu with Leave now selected. Click this drop down and choose Depart at instead.
- A new field appears that lets you set the time and the date. The directions and estimated time will change based on the predicted traffic levels. You will also be able to choose from different routes based on this predicted traffic.
