TomTom’s Latest Traffic Study Reveals Most Polluting Roadsin the United States

Printer-friendly versionPDF version

Concord, MA – April 21, 2010–California roads have long been considered some of the most scenic, and congested, in the United States. A new study by location and navigation solutions leader TomTom gives them another distinction: the nation’s most polluting.

The TomTom study shows the segments of roads on which vehicles produce the most carbon emissions, based on the length and time of average weekday traffic jams and the estimated number of vehicles in those jams. Of the top ten most polluting major, or interstate, roads in the country, seven are in California, including: I-5 South (#1); I 10 East (#2); I 405 South (#3); 60 East (#4); I 5 North (#6); 101 South (#8); and I 210 East (#9).

The results were calculated using data from Speed Profiles™, the historical speed database from TomTom’s licensing business unit Tele Atlas that helps personal and professional fleet drivers find the best routes. Speed Profiles aggregates, anonymously and on an opt in basis, the actual speeds that millions of GPS-enabled drivers have traveled over the last two years, providing the most accurate view of historical traffic on both primary and secondary roads. It is incorporated on TomTom GPS devices as IQ Routes™ to guide drivers away from congestion, not only on major highways but on all routes in the road network.

The data give the clearest picture yet of the impact of traffic jams on the environment, and on drivers’ wallets. Assumptions for carbon emissions and fuel consumption were based on relatively conservative calculations. TomTom’s study calculated that one vehicle stuck in congestion burns .1 gallons of additional fuel per hour, based on stopping and starting vs. idling, and that one gallon of fuel costs on average $3.00. Congestion on the roads in the study generally lasted for two hours. Calculations for emissions were for weekdays, or 300 days of the year. Traffic jams were defined as such if drivers could travel at only 70% or less of the posted speed limit, meaning on average an hour long trip included 20 minutes or more of significant delays.

Key findings are:

“As we approach Earth Day, a day in which we celebrate the environment, it’s incredible to see the impact of our daily commutes on the planet and ourselves,” said Product Manager Nhai Cao. “With products like IQ Routes on TomTom devices, and the pedestrian-friendly TomTom for iPhone, we’re proud to help people combat congestion, reduce the impact of their driving on the environment and save money.”

To see the full list of the top 20 most polluted major and secondary roads, the associated costs of that pollution in terms of tons of carbon emission produced and additional fuel wasted, or for more information, go to

www.teleatlaspresskit.com

.

About TomTom N.V.

TomTom N.V. (AEX: TOM2) is the world’s leading provider of location and navigation solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands it has over 3,000 employees worldwide. More than 40 million people use its solutions every day, in the form of dedicated portable navigation devices (PNDs), in-dash car systems or tracking and tracing solutions for fleet management. In addition, hundreds of millions of people use TomTom’s digital maps on the internet or mobile phones.

In 2009, TomTom reported €1.5 billion in revenues and a €340 million net cash flow from operating activities. More information about TomTom can be found at

www.TomTom.com

.

###

For additional information, please contact:
Kaitlin Ambrogio
TomTom Media Relations
1-978-405-1812
Email:

kaitlin.ambrogio@tomtom.com

News Source : TomTom’s Latest Traffic Study Reveals Most Polluting Roadsin the United States