How Google Maps Can Accurately Predict Traffic Conditions In India

Google Maps seems to have the superpower to predict traffic conditions in real-time with a high level of accuracy. There is no mystery here, though. Google is able to do this is because it tracks you and millions of other commuters.

Every time you try to use Google Maps, the app will ask for permission to access data on your current locations. The information will then be sent to its server. So when you are commuting, it will be able to guess if you are stuck in the traffic or moving. Google has access to similar data of millions of people around the world, including those who are on the same road as you. The next step is to predict heavy traffic based on the number of vehicles and their speed in the area.

The company also has traffic data of the past years and the conditions of roads, enabling it to make an accurate prediction of when traffic will peak.

Overall, what makes Google so good with its predictions is that it relies on users’ data. So the more people using its app, the more information it will be able to harvest.

However, not everyone is thrilled with the idea of being tracked. If you want to stop the app from gathering data on your locations, switch off the location services. But if a larger number of people opt out, the whole idea of having an app that can tell you exactly the future traffic condition will be rendered useless. Since the location data stored on Google’s servers is not tied with any identity, you can be sure that no one can use the information to track you.

Uber has just made public its data website to aid users and scientists in building better infrastructure in around 450 cities all over the world.