Everybody has sat on a motorway, looking at the other lanes all moving faster, only for them to slam to a stop the moment you change lanes into them. If only it was possible to predict which lane was the fastest, people could shave seconds off their commute home.
"I don't know what a motorway is," said editor of App World! e-mag, Mac Buck, "I'm guessing it's like a freeway, but in another country or something. If that's the case, then an app like this is a godsend."
The new app, available on the iPhone and Android is from Google, and uses GPS, Google maps, traffic information and crowd sourced data.
"Enough people are using Google Maps these days," said Buck, "that crowd sourced data can be used to give information on traffic conditions."
The app pools information from all the cars using Google's map app to calculate the speed on each lane of the motorway, and uses the very accurate GPS in modern phones to tell the car driver which lane they need to be in so that they can get through the traffic quicker.
"Additionally," said Buck, "the app can give traffic information on ordinary roads, not just freeways. This lets people know if it's worth actually leaving the freeway."
Driving organisations, such as the AA (or AAA in America), have heaped praise on the app that can actually reduce fuel usage on most journeys.
"I've been using this app to get to and from the office for a week," said Buck. "Over the course of a week, I have shaved nearly a minute off my morning commute. For this reason, I strongly recommend this app. I'm mainly recommending it because if more people use it, it becomes more accurate, and I could maybe shave another minute off my journey time!"
