NAVTEQ Traffic.com Helps Millions of Labor Day Weekend Drivers Avoid Jams

Free Services Provide Information on Shortest Routes, Accidents and Construction

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Sep 02, 2010, 09:00 ET

CHICAGO, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, will help on-the-go drivers with access to NAVTEQ Traffic.com® content available through the web and mobile phones, making it faster and easier to obtain traffic-dodging tips for the Labor Day holiday weekend.

NAVTEQ Traffic.com delivers detailed information about road construction, traffic speeds and incidents such as accidents at www.traffic.com, and also enables wireless transmission directly to cell phones, allowing drivers to make better routing and re-routing decisions.

With millions of drivers on the road, you are unlikely to get through Labor Day weekend without any traffic delays, particularly if you are visiting one of the more popular destinations in your area. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to suffer through endless traffic jams. Here's how to avoid the worst of it:

Go early or stay late.

There's less traffic early in the morning or late at night, particularly on the Fridays and Monday's of holiday weekends. Just be sure you are well rested before driving late at night.

Travel on the off days.

The worst holiday traffic is on the Friday and Monday evenings. If possible, take a day off and shift your weekend up, or back, a day

Think safety before speed.

The most certain way to slow down your Labor Day trip is to get in an accident. Don't try to make up for lost time by driving recklessly, and don't drive after drinking. Last year, 40% of all Labor Day weekend accidents were caused by drunk drivers*.

Be traffic savvy with NAVTEQ Traffic.com.

Hit traffic on the road? Access http://mobi.traffic.com, free of charge, from your mobile phone. It will show you where the traffic is, and how to work around it. It's the mobile web version of NAVTEQ's real-time traffic alert system with coverage in 52 US city areas. You pick your city from a drop down and then choose a highway from a paged list or click "Hotspots" to see the 10 most congested roads in your metro. NAVTEQ Traffic.com uses a nifty and intuitive thermometer graphic called the JamFactor® to show the relative congestion on each road. You can drill down into a particular highway and see average and slowest speed, delay in minutes and incident reports.
Save 1-866-MY-TRAFC (1-866-698-7232) to a phone favorites list before leaving home. This free hotline provides speed dial access to NAVTEQ Traffic.com—ideal for avoiding heavy traffic, construction, and accidents on your long weekend trip.
Send a SMS text message to get real-time traffic information for city hotspots. Simply text your CITY CODE, (NY, CHIC, PHL, LA, etc.) to TRAFC (87232). City codes can be found at http://bhelp.traffic.com/city-codes-used-for-sms.
You can use the "Check Your Drive Time" feature at www.traffic.com. Just type in where you are and where you want to go, and it will show you the fastest route based on real-time traffic data. You can even set up an alternate route, in advance, using the interactive traffic map.

*Source: (1) Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Available at: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2009/08/nhtsa-madd-unveil-enforcement-against-impaired-driving-campaign.html

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data (digital location content) enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world. NAVTEQ was founded in 1985 and now supplies comprehensive digital location content to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions. The Chicago-based company is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010, proudly supported by approximately 5,000 employees located in 211 offices in 48 countries.

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