German Automobile Association Recruits Windows Mobile Users to Report Traffic

[Chuong Nguyen]

This is a pretty simple solution that will hopefully work, pending some reforms to German driving laws. The German automobile association, the equivalent of AAA in the US, is recruiting GPS-enabled Windows Mobile smartphone users to install a piece of software that would allow users to hit a button when they encounter traffic. When the traffic has cleared, users can hit the button again and this information, along with GPS data, will be transmitted over the cellular networks. The real-time traffic data will be processed and extrapolated.

While this seems to be a great idea for accurate, real-time traffic alerts if the data gets uploaded to Google Maps or used within a connected GPS system, German driving laws will probably prohibit the use of the application proposed by the country's automobile association. According to the::unwired, German law prohibits a user from touching a phone while inside a motor vehicle, regardless if the vehicle is moving or stopped at a traffic light. This regulation only applies to phones. Users can still safely operate GPS systems if they are not software running from within a smartphone.

If you are in Germany, you can click on to download the client onto your phone.

If the idea came to the US, would you be inclined to join the community in reporting traffic if you owned a Windows Mobile phone with GPS capabilities?

[Pony99CA]

Interesting. When I worked at a GPS Pocket PC Company in 2005, I proposed a similar system be integrated in their GPS or traffic software.

Unfortunately, their device wasn't a phone, so it would have required a Bluetooth connection to your phone.

Steve