OT:Crap apps of the year (so far award)

I find Google usually offers me three routes. One “sane” route and two much longer routes that you would have to be insane to choose. Not terribly helpful.

Fortunately the “sane” route corresponds with what I would have chosen 99% of the time.

Tim

The most used accessory on my car is the limiter. However most of the time it's not needed.

It used to for me too. Until last week. NOw I get two flavours of the same fruit, so to speak.

Ah, maybe it's the "sane" bit. When a 17 mile route can be done in almost half the time of a 11 mile route, you know the world is insane.

Shortest distance...

I use it quite a bit, especially in an unfamiliar area. The new car even does the braking for me.

In my case the longer route isnt insane, just different, normally with mostly full national highways instead of the lesser more direct route.

All the time in my case.

But if it takes longer, that isn't necessarily even cheaper even if you are paying by the mile in a rented vehicle.

Bet Google noticed that hardly anyone used it and that's why its no longer available.

Same here, e.g. one motorway route and one dual carriageway route, perhaps with two local routes to reach the dual carriageway.

Or two A road routes, through different towns

All routes I might use without satnav, sometimes where I'd choose based on other factors such as likelihood of having to wait at level-crossings, or likelihood of sunday drivers or roads where overtaking is easier/more difficult.

Round here that gets you taken down cart tracks and one-lane roads with no passing places.

Yes. It really ought to be possible to start by saying short or as it might be quick to the SatNav and then change your mind later with a one-button press. The best of SatNavs is navigating in a city.

Generally on motorways these days - certainly during rush hours - you have to work *really* hard to exceed the speed limit.

The interesting thing is my 17 mile motorway journey is far kinder to brakes and clutch than the 11 mile version. Given the recent suggestion about MOTs, it made me wonder whether MOTing cars at a certain mileage might not be more appropriate if not practical ?

Well all I can say is i stump up 60 quid a year into TomTom GO! and it tells me the shortest route and the quickest route and has on several occasions diverted me around traffic jams in excellent form. And its estimates are usually about accurate to a minute. And it knows where all the speed cameras are. Its saved twice is cost in fines.

Things Google is supposed to know about, from it's harvesting of location data over time ...

Well yes, that's a moronic algorithm that sees 9m59s as being quicker than 10m regardless of the quality of the route.

Exhibit "F" when I present my case "AI is a crock o's**te" at the local debating society. Only I never get as far as "F" :)

Or Google decided that we are all going green and can pay for it with the time.

You're free to ask them. However note the lack of response highlights the lack of transparency in tech firms around the world today. Bad luck if the now "approved" green route goes past your school.

Don't trust it in London. It sent me through a bus gate twice in December. It's one which operates only part of the day and has signs which are bloody hard to see in the dark and rain. If the council really wanted to restrict traffic they'd improve signage - but then they'd lose much of the income from penalties: over £m4 in the first 18 months.

Indeed. I can generally return 50% better econonomy on a loing motrway run

Given the recent suggestion

I think your example refutes that. Certainly the thing that adds wear and tear to my car is the braking for speed bumps and chicanes and deliberate bottlenecks introduced by town planners, who all seem to be cycle riding fascists.

Well the SatNav computes three routes: fast, short, or eco. Trouble is once you've selected one, you can't change mid-route without cancelling and starting again.

There's a tickbox to disable preferred "green" routes under settings/navigation/route-options