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GPS Network Aims to Beat Traffic Jams

New unit pools data from cars to warn of congested roads

By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 25, 2008 8:22 AM CDT

(Newser) – You may soon be able to evade a traffic jam with a little help from your fellow driver, the Washington Post reports. California start-up Dash Navigation is launching a GPS device that collects speed and location data from vehicles, then uses the information to figure out which roads are congested and warn drivers away.

"Dash is right on the front end of the next wave of devices and applications that harvest ambient data and then build real-time services from it," said one expert. The $599 unit will rely heavily at first on average traffic times but will become more accurate as users sign up. The information gleaned from vehicles on the road comes from GPS coordinates and is anonymous, the Post notes.

Traffic backs up on Richmond St. in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 18, 2008.
Traffic backs up on Richmond St. in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 18, 2008.   (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
A start-up company promises to help motorists evade traffic with help from fellow drivers.
A start-up company promises to help motorists evade traffic with help from fellow drivers.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
The $599 Dash unit uses GPS technology to compile traffic data for drivers.
The $599 Dash unit uses GPS technology to compile traffic data for drivers.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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