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Who provides traffic announcements?
I drive a 2018 Suzuki Vitara which I bought in 2021 and still remember the first time I heard a loud announcement in the car telling me 'Caution, A406 traffic disruption, speed 30km' It was quite a surprise as I didn't remember seeing any mention of this feature in the manual.
I frequently receive these announcements near motorways and other main roads telling me about traffic issues or 'narrow lanes' followed by a speed limit. Sometimes the incidents have already cleared and also they are not always on the same side of the road as I am driving. At other times I will come across a traffic problem and not receive any alerts.
My question is where do these messages originate from and is this system built into other makes of car as never seen any mention of this on your site or advertised as a driving feature?
Is this something controlled by National Highways and how accurate is it?
I frequently receive these announcements near motorways and other main roads telling me about traffic issues or 'narrow lanes' followed by a speed limit. Sometimes the incidents have already cleared and also they are not always on the same side of the road as I am driving. At other times I will come across a traffic problem and not receive any alerts.
My question is where do these messages originate from and is this system built into other makes of car as never seen any mention of this on your site or advertised as a driving feature?
Is this something controlled by National Highways and how accurate is it?
Asked on 7 October 2024 by Neil Littman
Answered by
David Ross
It is likely that these are traffic alerts provided by your vehicle's infotainment system, and are broadcast over FM or digital frequencies via the Traffic Message Channel (TMC) and are provided by INRIX. Information is collected by analysis of anonymised data from fleet vehicles but the coverage is dependent on their location, which may explain why you may be informed of an incident that has been cleared, or not informed of a holdup you have encountered. It is possible to deactivate the alerts and your vehicle handbook will explain how to do so. This system is less popular as drivers are more reliant on satnav systems that offer data only affect your specific route or location.
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