BMW Technology: Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI) Sets Their Automobiles Apart
For years now drivers have come to expect navigation systems in mid-grade to luxury vehicles. Being able to map out your route before heading out somewhere began as a luxury item and quickly became both de rigueur and invaluable. In fact, I’d wager we use a navigation tool every day, whether we’re in the car or on foot. BMW first took that next step in 2007 from providing map-based navigation systems to the more superior Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI) system in their high end vehicles. RTTI and the BMW ConnectedDrive became part of the Convenience package for 90% of their 2017 lineup and looks to be standard feature in most of their 2018 elite models. Why am I just now covering this? LA Traffic.
Many of us travel that gauntlet to and from work, spending hours of our lives on the road. In order to keep us from losing our minds we zone out to songs on MP3, listen to books on Audible, or chat with friends via our choice of Hands Free tech. Those are all great ways to manage the frustration of traffic, but I’d rather avoid it (or avoid as much as I can of it) if possible.
Recently, I was able to drive a friend’s BMW 230i Convertible with the Premium Tier and was blown away by how luxury their “smallest” convertible felt. In addition to the other features like heated seats and steering wheel, this came with the RTTI system — something I hadn’t been able to use before. After one trip around LA with the RTTI I’d say it’s worth buying BMW for this feature alone.
RTTI was able to give me precise information on traffic. According to what I have since read, the information being provided by the car comes from data gathered by Transfer Protocol Expert Group (TPEG) and the GSM Cellular Network. Reading the BMW statement on the system says,
Major markets continuously update the service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; while smaller markets report only during normal commuting hours.
Traffic incidents are compiled and transmitted in metropolitan areas by a leading FM broadcaster. The data is received through a dedicated tuner, which operates independently of your entertainment source. The reported traffic incidents are displayed as icons on the navigation map and in a list, sorted by distance from your BMW’s current position.
I don’t live in a rural town in Kansas, so I can only speak to LA’s accuracy, but from my POV BMW’s system is spot on. The general areas I used to judge the accuracy was Westbound on Wilshire Blvd, the Staple’s Center area on an event day, and the 5/405 intersection at rush hour. As I was writing this article a colleague mentioned that Volvo might also be using the same system for theirs. I’ll get back with you on that later.
I cannot say enough good things about this technology. BMW has always led on the technology end with Mercedes and in my opinion is on par with Volvo for safety. This is definitely one of the technology perks that reminds people why German automakers have the reputation that they do. While, BMW ConnectedDrive cannot perform miracles and clear traffic for you, it does the next best thing. Using their RTTI gives you power over your situation and that’s worth every penny.
