Tom Tom return journey...

[156er]

Got it to navigate me from Rugby to Maidenhead, a trip I'd done many times before but I just wanted to play with my new toy!

It came up with...

A5-A43-M40-A404, as expected.

Next day, went home, but it suggested M40-M25-M1!!!

Any ideas why? Traffic is not activated, route preferences were the same, only difference was the departure time (1630 as opposed to 0700). It was clearly a daft idea so I went M40-A43 again.

Anyone?

[mybrainhurts]

Always pays to question a suggested route.

Use TT regularly, and it regularly suggests motorways/A roads when a direct line is miles shorter.

Strangely, it does the opposite in some North Wales locations....

A retrace route facility is long overdue....

>> Edited by mybrainhurts on Saturday 4th March 22:07

[kippax]

Have this every week when heading south it suggests using toll road when returning never uses it! (When in Tuscan tend to use avoid motorways feature for fun so not an issue!)

H

[CatherineJ]

There is an article on Times Online today about the impact that Sat Nav systems are having on the rural countryside. In some cases the systems are directing people down dirt tracks. I am looking to buy a system at the moment for my business, but I am little bit unsure. We had one of the original Navman PIN systems and I recall my partner using it for his return journey from work. It took him down unsuitable roads.

[AJLintern]

I went to Bournemouth last weekend via Salisbury, and Tom Tom decided to take me off the A338, through the middle of Ringwood, down a B road, across the A338 twice on bridges before rejoining it at Hurn!

[mybrainhurts]

It's quite easy to scroll through the route before you set off, then reset an itinerary if you don't like what you see....

[AJLintern]

I think the problem was that it lost the GPS signal for a bit and then re-calculated the route when it reaquired the signal - I'm pretty sure the original route was different...

[focusonme]

mybrainhurts said:

It's quite easy to scroll through the route before you set off, then reset an itinerary if you don't like what you see....

Doesn't change the fact that what's marked a road may, in fact, not be. I know I've been down some dodgy roads with my TT500 - sure, I get there safely in the end, but it's not even close the route I would've chosen from a map.

Still, all's well that ends well.

[MELV]

Same probs here with my TomTom Go -I've learnt to quickly check the route before I drive it -it's taken me down country lanes barely wide enough for a car let alone 4x4 and 7'6" trailer!!!

It seems to favour M6 toll southbound but not northbound!!

Just beware! I also double check on a map that it really is the 'best' route. i.e. going to Loughton, Milton Keynes yesterday it wanted me to turn off northbound M1 at J9 and drag thru Dunstable, whereas J14 is minutes from my destination.......

Still, a great tool that I've used daily since Nov '04 and wouldn't be without!!

Rgds
Mel

[Tripps]

I noticed that TomTom did seem to learn your preferences over time, it used to suggest that I went through SE London traffic to the South or East, but soon learn that it was far quicker to drive East then use the M25 to get around London.

The dodgy road issue is not just a TomTom problem, my old Garmin unit (with the better NavTech data) directed me through unmade roads a few times, unless the route search algorithm specifically lowers the priority (weighting) of these tyres or road (if the data classifies them properly that is) they'll always be included as potentials for routes.