Whenever i have used my sat nav, it always warns me that traffic or road works are ahead on my route. But whenever i get there, there is no such thing. Im happy that i dont take the alternative route otherwise it will take much longer. Is it just me or do you find TMC is not very good?

 

We don't have it here in the USA. Some talk of a real-time system that would be of actual use. Time-delayed traffic reporting is of little value. Then again if everyone got and responded to real-time traffic reporting, the problems would probably merely be re-located to a new spot.

 

I think it is country related. In the Netherlands it works very accurate and is almost never off.. Although I have to be honest and never take alternative road because the NAV doesn't take traffic lights in account when calculating the fastest route (or fastest alternative route).

I also get TMC messages that give me a warning for police checkpoints..

 

I've found the TMC to be absolutely useless. Frequently I travel on the M25 (a very busy motorway in the UK), where there is often slow and standstill traffic, and yet the TMC only tells me about the problems when I'm actually in a jam. It is most anoying when it tells you the next junction is clear, but when you get there it is clearly not the case - and only then does it say there are problems. I understand that it can only be as good as the information it is given, but while sitting in the jams the radio traffic announcements all know about the problems, so why doesn't the TMC system?

The car has already been back to the dealer about this problem (and had a software update), but it's no better.

Recently drove round the Paris P?riph?rique and every five minutes the TMC told me of problems and tried to recalculate a route. Moments later it would change its mind. By the time the system had recalculated a route I would have typically missed the junction that it wanted me to take. On the way back, I switched off the dynamic navigation and had a _much_ better trip.

 

TMC is useful every day.

Each morning leaving my home to the office, I drive 4 km before reaching the highway. Usually, TMC conviently warns me about traffic jam on the highway before reaching it.

This morning going to Brussels, TMC tells me about an accident and 1km of traffic jam. It was right. The accident was cleaned but the traffic jam still unresolved.

Just 2 exemples. TMC is not perfect but obviously useful.

 

Presumably it's no better because, as you say, "it can only be as good as the information it is given"...

ABC

 

Never tested it cause we don't have it here in Turkey but one time I rented a E60 in Germany and it was very useful.

 

I frequently use TMC - the only issue I have is that it rarely reroutes me, it just tells me that the delay is 1 minute and sends me to the back of the line. Now and again it says that there are roadworks or contra flow and there isn't, but I think that's just a delay in the update from the Highways Agency.

I drove an X5 before I got my E60 and it's version of TMC asked if I wanted to be diverted. I wish my E60 asked the same question rather than just alerting me but sending me the same way still

 

Works very well in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. No complaints, although the Dynamic Route rarely offers an alternative.