Driver-updated satnavs to beat traffic jams

The next time you’re stuck in traffic with no idea what the hold-up is, a driver way out in-front could be the one to let you know. That’s if a driver-fed satnav information service makes it out of the starting grid.

The Congestion Avoidance Dynamic Routing Engine (Cadre) will allow drivers to upload traffic information in real time, allowing other motorists to avoid the road-block.

For example, you could be driving down the A401 and suddenly hit a tail-back. You could enter this information into your satnav to inform other drivers of the delay. You'd also being able to re-plot your own route based on information provided by other drivers.

The driver-fed data should make for a more accurate representation of real-time conditions on the roads. It’ll also allow mapping systems to develop an overall pattern of which roads are usually clogged with traffic at which times.

Cadre is being developed by a government-funded research team led by Portsmouth University and TRL (Transport Research Lab), the former government road-research operation.

Patrick Beullens, from Portsmouth University's maths department, said that the system could tell you when the best time to leave home is and help make journeys as short as possible by minimising delays.

Cadre has already been tested on 2100 journeys around Hampshire's roads, including the M27, M3, A3 and the M25. It’s thought the system could be available within 18 months.