Living Green: Real-Time Traffic Information to Cut Down Emissions

In the first part of our Living Green feature, we looked at the positive impacts of the Samsung Reclaim, a handset that truly embodies its eco-conscious roots and transcends marketing lingo. While we touched upon the GPS feature as being green in our Reclaim review, we will be exploring how connected, real-time traffic data from GPS systems will make a better, more positive impact on our very own blue planet in this second green segment.

In a recent study conducted by Navteq, one of the leaders in GPS mapping data and has since been acquired by Nokia, it is found that drivers who use a real-time connected GPS system that has access to live traffic data will spend less time in traffic and will consume less energy. Thus, drivers with a connected GPS system, like the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone and smartphones that use programs like TeleNav, will also emit less pollutants into the atmosphere.

According to the commissioned study, drivers will spend 18% less time driving with live traffic information and will potentially save up to four days of driving per year:

The study revealed that the drivers using traffic enabled navigation devices experienced dramatic time savings, spending 18% less time driving on an average trip versus drivers without navigation. If applied over the course of a year, a driver who does not currently use a navigation device would save themselves 4 days of driving each year if they had a traffic-enabled navigation system. Additionally, the findings show that drivers with real-time traffic experience reductions in distance traveled as well as increase fuel efficiency which would lead to a decrease in CO2 emissions per driver of .79 metric tons, or 21% less than a driver without a navigation system.

The study examined driver behaviour in two German cities--Munich, and Dusseldorf. However, Navteq believes that the information could be extrapolated to other countries, like the UK and the US:

– UK drivers with traffic enabled navigation would save 2.5 days per
year and drop their CO2 emissions by 20%
– US drivers with traffic enabled navigation would save 4 days per year
and lower their CO2 emissions by 21%

Other ways to be smarter about your commute, shave off time off your travel time and be greener, you can download Live Search or Microsoft's Bing Mobile and Google Maps for Mobile on your Windows Mobile handset or smartphone.