Avoid traffic jams with Apple Maps traffic info before journeys

It is irritating when you set off on a car journey and get stuck in traffic. You sit there burning petrol, adding to greenhouse gasses, getting more frustrated. Apple Maps has the solution.

A simple 15 minute journey can become half an hour or more, or an hour road trip can turn into two.

If only you knew there was a traffic jam you could have either put off the journey till later or even another day if it wasn't important, or chosen another route if it was essential. With Maps on the Mac you can get bang up to date information on the road conditions before you set off, which enables you to avoid the jams.

Maps traffic information

Open the Maps app by clicking the icon in the Dock and then click the location arrow icon in the title bar to change the map view to show your current location. You can also use the search box at the top to find your destination if you want to see what the traffic is like there.

Select View, Show Traffic and traffic information is added to the map display in the form of icons and colours. Roads with traffic jams are highlighted in red and should be avoided if possible. Orange roads indicate slow moving traffic that will increase your journey time, so if you can see an alternative route, it may be faster.

Avoid roadworks

Look for the roadworks icon along the route you will be taking. Click the icons and an information window is displays sometimes brief, but sometimes comprehensive details that tell you how long you can expect to be delayed, when the roadworks started and are expected to be completed and so on.

Go around road accidents

It isn't just roadworks that cause traffic jams and delays in your journey. Accidents are a major problem and they can sometimes cause traffic jams for several hours if the road is blocked.

Maps displays a special icon for accidents and clicking it provides a description that tells you where it is located. Sometimes the length of time you are likely to be delayed is shown and at what time the accident is likely to be cleared. You might want to take an alternative route around the accident to avoid getting stuck in the inevitable jam.

Watch out for road hazards

There are general warning symbols on the map too, such as the one shown below. Here there has been an incident of some sort that is causing problems for drivers in the area. You can see the location, when it started and when it is likely to end.

Traffic information is also shown when using Satellite view too - click the Satellite button at the top of the window. In this Maps image you can see roads with orange dots and roads with red dots. Orange indicates that there is moderate traffic, but it is moving, and red dots mean that there is heavy traffic that could be stationary - stop and go driving.

You shoud avoid the red roads and take another route if possible. Sometimes you have no choice though.

Get alternative routes to bypass road closures

Here is probably the most common symbol you will see in Apple Maps traffic information and it indicates that a road has been closed for some reason, such as construction, road repairs and so on. In this case a on/off ramp has been closed and the time and date the road is expected to be reopened is displayed - this one is expected to remain closed until 2021 and there is a suggestion to use an alternative exit ramp.

Knowing that a road is close enables you to plan ahead and use an alternative route. A quick look at the map might show you how to get around the closure, but there is a better way. Get Maps directions.

Get directions and avoid road problems

Apple Maps is useful for getting directions from one place to another if you are not sure of the route, but is it aware of traffic problems? It is all very well putting symbols on the map to say a road is closed, but will Maps route you around a closed road?

I found a straight road with several road closed symbols and asked Maps to get directions between two places on the road. It did indeed take me around the blocked road. If the start and end are reversed, it avoids the blocked road again. Ask for walking directions and it goes stright down the road as you would expect.

I tried it with a road closure near home that I know well, and it sent me the long way around the closed road. This is excellent and even if you know where you are going, it might be useful to check with Maps and see if there are road closures, and which route Maps thinks is best.

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