Trafficmaster’s in-vehicle satellite navigation system will be offered as an approved accessory on all Ford cars sold in Britain, Trafficmaster said on Tuesday.
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Ford is the 17th UK car brand to offer Trafficmaster’s Smartnav, which tells drivers how to get to their destination and avoid traffic jams on the way, Reuters reported – others include Nissan, MG Rover, Jaguar and Mercedes.
“Smartnav continues to be endorsed by more and more motor manufacturers. The addition of Ford, the UK’s leading manufacturer [in fact, Ford is the top-selling brand but no longer makes Ford-brand cars in the UK], is a significant milestone for Trafficmaster,” chief executive David Martell said in a statement cited by Reuters.
According to Trafficmaster’s website, Smartnav costs from £700 installed. Unlike conventional factory-fitted systems, there is no in-vehicle CD-ROM or DVD containing map data. The map data is held instead on Trafficmaster’s central computer system and continuously updated.
Smartnav users request directions via mobile phone from a live operator who then uploads the route to the car receiver. Routes are varied according to current traffic congestion as the driver proceeds. As an option, drivers can also be warned of the location of speed cameras and the applicable speed limits when driving in camera locations.
