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Gps Satnav Connection to Proximate Stoplights.

Satnav that tells you not just where, but when to go, and why.
 
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Today I ran a long yellow light at a turn, only to stop a half block further at a solid red. Now if I'd been able to anticipate, ie by observing the traffic flow or through direct line of sight, that I'd have to stop in 10 more seconds, I wouldn't have driven through the almost red turn signal. I'd have waited at the first red light, then gone through the next two intersections in the same green light cycle. Ok. So another example. Do you ever speed on the highway, pass a "slow" driver, only to see them right behind you as you're stopped at a red light on your exit ramp. You might think, "why the fck did I drive so fast if that slow mfer is here at the same time". But I think you do it because, when you're in a hurry, sometimes you do catch that green or yellow light that would've turned red for you if you were the slower driver. And then you make it to work on time. So why not have a sat nav that can tell you what color the nearby lights are, and how much longer they'll stay that color. I believe they're already satnavs that can display live traffic data, but why not inform people about what time delays are definitely upcoming, so they can make more efficient and hopefully safer decisions when driving.
miggavin, Feb 14 2013


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       I'd have thought that this will soon be baked, or is halfway there already. Scraping information from Smartphones is already going on, pulling data from a sample of drivers around a city will allow your nav software to build a picture of the traffic flow/light timings and so on. Then it simply has to direct you down the best route. A small add on may be able to eek out an advantage: "take the next left, or, floor it on this street, average 43mph or above and you'll make that sweet green light on Broad"
bs0u0155, Feb 14 2013
  

       This sort of thing is a "cost add-on" on NAVIGON smartphone navigation, on Android.
UnaBubba, Feb 15 2013
  

       So how do I opt out of having the spotlights in the area detect the GPS coordinates of my phone, lighting me up all the time?   

       Oh, *stop*lights. Sorry. As you were.
lurch, Feb 15 2013
  

       I think the whole thing could be turned completely the other way around...   

       Everyone inputs their destination, and self-perceived driving style. A central computer works out the best routing and traffic light timing.   

       Over time, the real driving style could be read from GPS reports.
Ling, Feb 15 2013
  

       I notice that a number of the satnav ideas on the 'bakery have to do with things featured heavily in urban environs. Could it be that GPS satnav is just a big conspiracy designed to distract city-dwellers from how terrible the traffic is, thus preventing them from precipitating a global economic pandemic by selling their cars and riding the bus to work?
Alterother, Feb 15 2013
  


 

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