Traffic data - those orange and red lines on the nav

[rincewind]

Hi all,

This does not seem to be 'Live' traffic data - I often see red/orange lines when there is no traffic at all on the road. When I use this facility on Google Maps on the iPhone it's properly live data.

Can anyone clarify what the orange and red lines mean/how often they are updated?

 

[AustinPowers]

I would like to know that as well.

Also, the speed limits indicated by the system are wrong quite often. Especially zones with low speed limits like residential areas are hardly ever shown correctly. Is this a problem that Google can do something about or is this something that Tesla can influence (or remedy via an update)?

 

[diamond.g]

I am not sure where the traffic data comes from, but the speed limit data is "baked" into the map database. They may pull that data from Open Street maps, but since we (in the US) haven't had a map update since the middle of last year it is hard to say.

 

[640k]

i feel like the maps thing has been covered ad-nauseam. here are a couple points:

the map, satellite and business search/view is provided by Google API. the Google API does not allow for navigation routing. it's assumed that Tesla uses OpenStreetMaps to perform the routing (as evident with Smart Summons routing). however, it's possible that Tesla is still using things like Valhalla and MapBox for things like navigation.

the disconnect is obvious once you've experienced this:

 

[TheLocNar]

The traffic data comes from cell phones. there’s going to be a delay in what the live traffic displays.

SIMON WECKERT

 

[JasonR67]

Part of me wondered/assumed the places that showed yellow/red with no traffic (and may have never seen traffic) were places that are slow due to stop signs / lights / business entrances to indicate where navigation should shy away from when choosing shortcuts.

or it could just be some guy with a wagon and 99 cell phones..
Artist tricks Google Maps into recording traffic jam with 99 cellphones and a wagon

 

[Aellinsar]

Interesting, I've taken I-71 through Cincinnati before, but never noticed that happen.

 

[sduck]

According to tesla in one of their blog posts (a while ago, may or may not still be accurate), the traffic info only comes from info they get from other tesla cars, not google or cell phones or waze or stuff that would make sense like that. So the accuracy depends on how many other teslas are in the area. And this also adds the need to s t r e t c h out the results they get, so if a tesla stops at a traffic light, that light might get a red line on the map for a while, long after the light has changed and the car has moved on. And there are all kinds of delays in the system, so expect any traffic indication to be 15-30 minutes out of sync with reality.

There are enough teslas in my area that the traffic indicators are pretty useless except on the interstates - there are red lines at virtually every stop light and sign.

 

[640k]

Interesting, I've taken I-71 through Cincinnati before, but never noticed that happen.

this is the second time this has happened to me. it's not location specific. the two just get "un-synched"

 

[acarney]

I find it so hard to believe people in a somewhat small town are using Google maps to run down to the store and stuff. I can't figure out how the heck Tesla get's the traffic info, especially on residential streets. Are people really that stupid that they're opening Google maps to go 2 miles down to the store in a town of 35k or something (so no major highways or big intersections or anything, just up to the main road three or four blocks away, down the main road two or three stop lights, and then the store is right there...)

In a large city the traffic seemed fairly spot on (though I never got a reroute based on traffic, so I guess things don't change fast enough to cause reroutes often) but it's so weird in smaller places where it'll be red on a residential street that doesn't see a car for 20+ minutes...

 

[ewoodrick]

It is live, but live has to be a little historical.
Yes, it is notorious for showing congestion at a stop sign.

I don't look that much at the yellows, just reds
Also, along interstates, it is more accurate

 

[JulienW]

Could be this.

An Artist Used 99 Phones to Fake a Google Maps Traffic Jam

 

[rincewind]

According to tesla in one of their blog posts (a while ago, may or may not still be accurate), the traffic info only comes from info they get from other tesla cars, not google or cell phones or waze or stuff that would make sense like that. So the accuracy depends on how many other teslas are in the area. And this also adds the need to s t r e t c h out the results they get, so if a tesla stops at a traffic light, that light might get a red line on the map for a while, long after the light has changed and the car has moved on. And there are all kinds of delays in the system, so expect any traffic indication to be 15-30 minutes out of sync with reality.

^^ This. If I look at my iPhone (Google Maps), the red and orange lines are properly 'live data'. The Tesla overlay properly isn't. It's a daft (and pretty much useless) feature.

 

[AustinPowers]

According to tesla in one of their blog posts (a while ago, may or may not still be accurate), the traffic info only comes from info they get from other tesla cars, not google or cell phones or waze or stuff that would make sense like that. So the accuracy depends on how many other teslas are in the area.

This can't be true for Germany at least. There are far too few Tesla vehicles on the roads over here for such a statement to make sense. Especially as most of the times for me the orange and red lines have been suprisingly accurate, even in our local area where there are less than ten Teslas in the entire county currently (mine included).

 

[jfinephilly]

i feel like the maps thing has been covered ad-nauseam. here are a couple points:

the map, satellite and business search/view is provided by Google API. the Google API does not allow for navigation routing. it's assumed that Tesla uses OpenStreetMaps to perform the routing (as evident with Smart Summons routing). however, it's possible that Tesla is still using things like Valhalla and MapBox for things like navigation.

the disconnect is obvious once you've experienced this:

This happens frequently using the Google
Maps app and CarPlay. Not specific to Tesla.

 

[hugh_jassol]

Could be this.

An Artist Used 99 Phones to Fake a Google Maps Traffic Jam

literally someone posted this 5 posts up from you

 

[Msjulie]

I find it so hard to believe people in a somewhat small town are using Google maps to run down to the store and stuff.

It was true, can't speak to today, that any Android phone would send probe data back; you need not be actively using the map to have anonymous (supposedly) data collected to help Google collect device movement/traffic/shopping trends etc.

Our fine US carriers were selling location data as well, some probably still are

Wireless Carriers Are Selling Your Location Data

 

[KnutOj]

Hi all,

This does not seem to be 'Live' traffic data - I often see red/orange lines when there is no traffic at all on the road. When I use this facility on Google Maps on the iPhone it's properly live data.

Can anyone clarify what the orange and red lines mean/how often they are updated?

One one trip from California to Arizona on FSD my New S left highway 10 outside Indio, lucky it new about the accidents on 10. News stated 10 hours of traffic not moving. Many other times FSD exit the planned route. How does it know and display Red or Orange road?

 

[KnutOj]

One one trip from California to Arizona on FSD my New S left highway 10 outside Indio, lucky it new about the accidents on 10. News stated 10 hours of traffic not moving. Many other times FSD exit the planned route. How does it know and display Red or Orange road?

I assume it reads traffic speed sign. As it shows new speed limits when there is road construction.

 

[JulienW]

One one trip from California to Arizona on FSD my New S left highway 10 outside Indio, lucky it new about the accidents on 10. News stated 10 hours of traffic not moving. Many other times FSD exit the planned route. How does it know and display Red or Orange road?

Because your car and you cell phone are sending anonymous data about the speed they are traveling. Also metro area have traffic counters and this data is also collected. The aggregated data is compiled to determine the speed traffic is moving on the road they are on. Companies like Google and Apple then "draw" the colored lines on the map so you can see traffic patterns.