Re[2]: Re: Alternatives to autoroute?

[Stephen <ukha@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

JW> Just a thought but does it _really_ matter if any in-car navigation
product
JW> takes you a "silly" route?

That would depend what the "silly" route is. At the destination
end I
am unfamiliar with the town, so I do not know whether the route is
silly or not.

There are two ways of driving, one would be the shortest distance
route and the other would be shortest time route. I guess Tom Tom tries
to take me the shortest distance route, but from here that means
turning left onto an A-road that has many traffic lights and long
queues. This A-road eventually joins the M6 which has even longer queues.

I would rather turn right along a different A-road with less traffic
lights and less queues. I think that Tom Tom knows a road is supposed to
be 40mph; I don't think it knows that the road is heavily congested at 8am
and only travels at 5mph.

I would then take some other A-roads to cut out the M6 altogether. I
suspect Tom Tom thinks "70mph motorway or 40mph A-road: choose
M6" and
that is why it tries to take me that way instead.

Re your does it matter, yes it does because I don't want to be two
hours late for work because of traffic jams on the M6 and in the
evening, I would rather get home quickly (shortest time, even if it
means a few more miles) than lose valuable hours off my life sitting
in traffic. Like you say, life is too short to waste it sitting on the
M6 contemplating brake lights.