Traffic Jams Show Christmas Shoppers Shun The Recession
Despite experiencing the worst recession in the last 60 years, more Christmas shoppers are out on the roads visiting shopping centres and retail parks compared to 2008...
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News and Announcements
December 2009
December 2009
Wet weather adds to Christmas traffic chaos
With December weather expected to stay unsettled and wet, the Christmas getaway on Friday 18 December will be slow and very busy on major routes.
December 2009
A.M. Norris Ltd chooses Fleet Director
100+-strong vehicle fleet to feature Fleet Director fleet management solution with Smartnav navigation.
A.M. Norris Ltd, the plumbing & heating contractors, has just signed a contract with Trafficmaster to supply its Citroen LCV fleet with the latest Fleet Director fleet management solution, including the Smartnav intelligent satellite navigation system.
November 2009
Got a Smartphone? Get Smartnav Mobile
Trafficmaster’s unique PA-assisted sat nav and live traffic avoidance system makes every journey easy, saves you from hours of sitting in traffic and now you can get all this on your smartphone
November 2009
Congestion starts to increase but is it the end of the recession?
Interim Congestion Update from Trafficmaster and the AA shows congestion increasing but not everywhere ...
After tracking consistent falls in congestion throughout 2009 as recorded in their recent Commuting - Congestion Report, Trafficmaster has now recorded an 11% increase in congestion levels since the end of September, compared to the same period in 2008, but it has been very uneven across the country.
November 2009
Trafficmaster extends RDS TMC service contract with Honda
Trafficmaster, the leading supplier of intelligent driving services, has secured a further five year extension to its current contract with Honda to provide its Radio Data System Traffic Message Channel (RDS TMC) service to all satellite navigation systems factory fitted in Honda vehicles.
October 2009
Winning Ways! Trafficmaster collects host of Industry Awards for 2009
It's been another Award winning year for Trafficmaster with industry recognition for ground breaking new developments on Fleet Director and Smartnav...
October 2009
October's Half Term Holiday and Return of the School Run bring Congestion Warnings
Trafficmaster predicts the worst congestion so far this year on Black Friday as families take the Autumn half term as the last chance for a break before Christmas.
October 2009
Streets Ahead! Fleet Director Upgrade Sets New Industry Standards
Fleet Director sets new industry standards with an award-winning functionality upgrade designed to help drivers and fleet managers work even more efficiently.
September 2009
Record drop in Congestion reflects economic crisis, according to new Trafficmaster/AA Report
Britain’s road network is wearing the scars of the economic climate on its sleeve, according to a new report published today by Trafficmaster and the AA. Indeed the report shows that since the subsequent economic decline when the credit crunch began two years ago, there has been a dramatic 31% reduction in road congestion across all major motorways and trunk roads.
Furthermore, the report also shows that congestion levels have become inextricably linked to major financial events and the economic climate, such as rising fuel prices and the collapse of Northern Rock. Gloomily, with the increase in unemployment and the report’s findings that nearly a quarter of commuters not currently working lost their jobs over the last 12 months, rush hour is now also becoming redundant, influencing the overall congestion figures.
Whilst congestion has dramatically dropped across the road network in the normal working week, the credit crunch has also delivered another phenomenon. Spiked rises in congestion have appeared on Fridays, school and Bank holiday getaways. With the cost of holidays in the UK cheaper than abroad, we have seen up to a 50% increase in congestion at these times as additional leisure traffic hits the roads. What’s more weekend breaks seem to be more popular as people are cutting back on the length of time they spend away – Friday is the only day of the week that is bucking the trend of a decrease in congestion levels.
The findings come from Congestion – Commuting, An Economic Barometer, a new report written and researched by Trafficmaster, the leading expert in road traffic information, and the AA. The report is based on comprehensive traffic information collated by Trafficmaster over the past five years and commuting behaviour research from the AA and its AA/Populus panel of 75,000 drivers.
The report shows that:
- 23% of commuters currently not working said that they had lost their job in the last 12 months. This has had a definite effect on the morning and afternoon rush hours. This has certainly had a huge impact on weekday morning peak times which have seen the biggest decrease in congestion, with an overall average reduction of 15%.
- 20% of all commuters surveyed said that the economic circumstances had led them to work from home more regularly to avoid the cost of commuting. In addition 14% had used public transport, whilst 12% had shared cars to reduce the cost of commuting.
- 67% of commuters said they would double the distance travelled in their daily commute in order to keep their job. A statistic that may well impact future congestion levels.
Georgina Read at Trafficmaster, comments:
“We’ve been collecting and analysing congestion data for the past 20 years, with all previous years up to 2007 showing the congestion problem growing. However, post credit crunch, the trend has been well and truly broken and we’ve now witnessed two consecutive years of dramatically falling congestion levels.”
Edmund King, President of the AA, concludes:
“So the report brings both good news and bad news; congestion is falling, but that it is due to the recession, fuel prices and unemployment. The motor vehicle is an integral part of British culture and our lifestyle that we have come to rely on - whether that is getting to work, taking the kids to school or delivering our goods. So when times are hard it is with reluctance that we look at ways of cutting down on car journeys and using alternative modes of transport. This only strengthens our need to keep investing in the road infrastructure, so that when the recession ends we have a network that can support a thriving economy.”
August 2009
Simply The Best - Trafficmaster Mobile Wins Best Satnav Award!
Trafficmaster Mobile, the only PA-assisted satellite navigation and dynamic traffic avoidance system available for GPS Mobiles and BlackBerry scoops major industry award from BusinessCar magazine.
August 2009
Late Bank Holiday brings more Summer Traffic Congestion
With the August Bank Holiday falling late, heavy traffic congestion will start early this year, says Trafficmaster.
August 2009
Trafficmaster and IBM develop solution for smarter driving.
Trafficmaster’s Smartnav enhanced route-planning tool incorporates a dynamic probe collection system which is powered by a combination of IBM hardware, software and storage. IBM technology is also at the heart of Trafficmaster’s Geocore solution for the retrieval and processing of huge volumes of driver locations which are collected to provide a very wide range of telematics services for both businesses and consumers.
July 2009
Hot Weather and Hard Times see the Return of the Weekend Tripper
Trafficmaster has been monitoring a definite trend towards weekend getaway traffic and Sunday tripping since the beginning of May, as the best British summer for years see cash strapped families opting for old-fashioned weekend outings that are bringing traffic jams to popular holiday routes.
June 2009
Trafficmaster wins 300 unit contract with South Tyneside Council
South Tyneside council, which provides services to over 150,000 residents has just signed a contract with Trafficmaster to supply the council's fleet with the latest Fleet Director fleet management system including Smartnav, the intelligent satellite navigation system.
June 2009
Trafficmaster Demonstrates Fleet Savings at AVEX 2009
At Avex 2009 Trafficmaster, the leading supplier of inteligent driving systems, is demonstrating how its fleet managment system, Fleet Director, can save money for fleet managers in the vending industry.
May 2009
BMW Group UK Enhances Trackstar with 'On-Demand'
BMW Group UK has added the new On-Demand Mileage Reporting System from Trafficmaster to the Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking system already available as an accessory option on all BMW and MINI models.
May 2009
Recession Busting Holidays to Increase Traffic
Trafficmaster - the UK’s leading provider of real-time traffic information – is predicting heavy traffic on the Friday before the start of the school summer half term break.
April 2009
Any time - Any where - Smartnav Mobile is here
The latest innovation to Trafficmaster’s Smartnav satellite navigation solution now means you can receive on your GPS mobile phone the most efficient satellite navigation and dynamic routing system available - including access to Trafficmaster’s unique team of Personal Assistants, operating 24/7.
April 2009
Trafficmaster supports the AA's new 84322 traffic information service.
For over 20 years Trafficmaster has been making life easier for drivers providing the most comprehensive live traffic information. Now Trafficmaster is providing its traffic data service for the AA’s new 84322 traffic information service.
April 2009
Miles ahead! New On-Demand mileage reports system from Trafficmaster.
No more hours spent completing business mileage claims - it's all done instantly via Trafficmaster's Smartnav or Trackstar systems.
February 2009
Trafficmaster drives into a new dimension with the new Smartnav Colour Touchscreen
Trafficmaster, the leader in intelligent driving solutions has launched a colour touchscreen option for its advanced Smartnav satellite navigation system.
January 2009
Iveco uses Smartnav for first quarter sales campaign
Iveco’s nationwide dealer network has launched a special offer for retail customers purchasing and registering new Daily vans during the first quarter of 2009 (up to and including 31 March). The offer will see all new Daily vans fitted with a free Trafficmaster satellite navigation system – Smartnav.
January 2009
Leibherr chooses Fleet Director from Trafficmaster
Liebherr GB Ltd, the UK arm of the Liebherr Group, a world leading manufacturer and service provider of construction machinery has chosen Fleet Director as its Fleet Management System.
January 2009
Trafficmaster launches Message Display Terminal for Fleet Director.
Trafficmaster's award winning fleet managment solution, Fleet Director, has now been enhanced with the launch of its Message Display Terminal (MDT)
January 2009
Trafficmaster launches its Digital Traffic Broadcast service
Trafficmaster has launched its Digital Traffic Broadcast service in partnership with Digital 1 the worlds largest digital radio operator network.
January 2009
Get to work (and home) on time with Trafficmaster's Route Guard
Trafficmaster has launched its new mobile traffic information service 'Route Guard' to help commuters to get to work (and home!) on time.
January 2009
Trafficmaster wins Technology of the Year at the Fleet Van Awards
At the 2008 Fleet Van Awards Trafficmaster was awarded Technology of the Year, for its advanced integrated driving solutions.
November 2008
The Truth About Stolen Vehicle Recovery Systems
A recent report confuses the market on reliability of some vehicle tracking systems - so which system should you trust?
October 2008
October 'Black Friday'
Trafficmaster - the UK’s leading provider of real-time traffic information - forecasts an unpredictable Friday as congestion levels fall due to economic conditions.
October 2008
Trafficmaster Wins Overall Business Excellence Award
Trafficmaster has one three awards at this years Milton Keynes and North Bucks Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards.
October 2008
Trafficmaster wins Green Fleet Award
Trafficmaster has been recognised in the prestigious 2008 Green Fleet Awards, winning the award for IT and Communications Product of the Year for its fleet management system - Fleet Director.
August 2008
Journey Time Index
This report analyses the change in journey times across some of the UK’s major routes and provides information on observed variations in congestion and traffic hotspots over the past three years.
August 2008
Economy 'Go slow' speeds up journeys
High fuel prices, the credit crunch and the economic slowdown have given motorists a break from congestion, with jams down 12 per cent on 2007, according to Trafficmaster and the RAC foundation.
May 2008
Trafficmaster Publishes Bank Holiday Jam Buster Schedule
Trafficmaster predicts that with the promise of warmer temperatures combined with school half term holidays and the Bank Holiday on May 26th, Friday 23rd May will be a serious contender for worst traffic day of the year.
April 2008
Berlingo comes with Smartnav as standard
In a first for the UK high cube van sector, Citroen's new Berlingo van (excluding the 1.6i 625 x model), will have Trafficmaster’s Smartnav and stolen vehicle tracking fitted as standard.
April 2008
Trafficmaster Drives Fleet Sales With New Appointment
Following the recent launch of Fleet Director, the intelligent fleet management system, Trafficmaster has appointed John Lawrence as the new Director of Business Services.
March 2008
High Winds Close M6
Due to high winds the M6 at Thelwall Viaduct has been closed. This has caused 56 miles of tailbacks.
March 2008
Trafficmaster Preliminary Results 2007
Trafficmaster, the leading supplier of intelligent driving services, announces its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2007.
December 2007
BMW Chooses Trafficmaster
BMW has teamed up with Trafficmaster to provide Trackstar, an advanced stolen vehicle tracking service, to the BMW and MINI ranges of premium cars in the UK and Republic of Ireland
October 2007
Trafficmaster Congestion Report warns of Black Friday
Millions of motorists risk being caught in the worst traffic congestion of the year on 'Black Friday', warn Trafficmaster and the RAC Foundation.
October 2007
Sixt orders Citroen Relays
Trafficmaster's services help Sixt Rent A Car's decision to order new Citroën Relays
September 2007
Trafficmaster launches Fleet Director in UK
Trafficmaster is to launch its comprehensive fleet management and tracking service, Fleet Director, in the UK.
September 2007
VW calls in Trafficmaster RDS-TMC
Trafficmaster has signed a major new contract to supply UK RDS-TMC traffic information to Volkswagen vehicles.
August 2007
GM UK agrees Trafficmaster RDS-TMC deal
Trafficmaster is to take over the supply of UK RDS-TMC traffic information to Vauxhall and Saab satellite navigation systems, in a new, three-year contract.
August 2007
Smartnav standard fit with Mitsubishi Raging Bull
Buyers of the new, special edition Mitsubishi L200 Raging Bull will be able to enjoy a fully integrated Trafficmaster Smartnav system as standard, amongst a long list of features.
August 2007
Trafficmaster reveals destination confusion
Numerous towns and villages sharing the same name are causing many motorists to waste valuable time on the road heading towards incorrect destinations, according to Trafficmaster.
July 2007
Trafficmaster partners with Emap Radio
Trafficmaster has boosted its RDS-TMC traffic information coverage across the Midlands and Northern England, through a new deal with the EMAP radio network. This latest contract will see Trafficmaster’s information carried in the FM signal of nine EMAP radio stations, covering major cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Birmingham.
July 2007
Trafficmaster wins DfT contract
Trafficmaster Plc, the leading supplier of intelligent driving services, will take over the supply of journey time data to UK Department for Transport, in a new contract, effective from 3 July 2007 and worth £3 million over 3½ years. A six month transition from the existing supplier will be complete by end 2007.
June 2007
Many drivers use outdated maps
Before you plan your next journey, check the date on your road map – that’s the advice from Trafficmaster, which has found* some five million drivers could be wasting hours trying to navigate with road maps from 2000 or earlier, while 364,000 still refer to maps from the 1980s.
May 2007
Trafficmaster develops real road speeds database
The popular pub or dinner party debate around the fastest ways from A to B could be over. The question has been answered definitively by Trafficmaster, which has collated over 50 billion data records to map accurate average speeds for roads across the UK.
May 2007
Trafficmaster/ RAC Foundation congestion report
The nation’s worst congestion hotspot is the southern end of the M1, according to a new report launched this week by Trafficmaster and the RAC Foundation.
February 2007
Smartnav alerts to new LCCZ
With the London Congestion Charging Zone spreading westwards from this week, many more drivers will be unsure where they can drive without being charged – so it’s good news that Trafficmaster’s Smartnav now features visual Congestion Charging Zone alerts, as one of a number of new features on an upgraded touchscreen.
February 2007
Trafficmaster travel news on GCap local radio
Drivers are now able to tune in and catch travel news from Trafficmaster's unique traffic monitoring network on the local radio network, thanks to a deal between Trafficmaster and GCap Media, owners of Classic FM, London's 95.8 Capital FM and 37 local radio stations across the UK.
February 2007
Smartnav standard fit on Citroen Dispatch van
Trafficmaster today announces an extension of its relationship with Citroen, for standard fit of its Smartnav intelligent navigation system.
January 2007
Trackstar secures TQA approval
Trafficmaster’s Trackstar TM100 stolen vehicle tracking product is among the first to receive the new Thatcham approval, Thatcham Quality Accreditation (TQA).
January 2007
Trafficmaster studies driving stress
If you’re dreading the return to work after New Year, you’re not alone – driving officially
stresses us all and returning to the commute is the most stressful activity many of us will undertake this week, according to research by intelligent driving experts, Trafficmaster.
December 2006
Trafficmaster reveals term time traffic trauma
Increased congestion that includes millions of parents driving children to school in the mornings causes average journey times on some roads to triple in length, according to new analysis from intelligent driving experts, Trafficmaster.
October 2006
Black Friday traffic congestion
Trafficmaster Plc, a leading provider of real-time traffic information and intelligent vehicle tracking and navigation solutions, predicts a gloomy day for drivers on Friday 20th October.
October 2006
Smartnav standard fit on Citroen vans
Trafficmaster, a leading supplier of intelligent vehicle tracking and navigation solutions, today announces that their award-winning navigation system Smartnav will now become standard with Citroen’s new Relay light commercial van.
October 2006
Trafficmaster partners with Norwich Union
Following today’s launch of Pay As You Drive™ motor insurance by Norwich Union,
Trafficmaster, the Intelligent Driving company, announces that it will be providing a range of added value services to Pay As You Drive™ customers including the award-winning Smartnav Satellite Navigation system.
September 2006
Magellan chooses Trafficmaster RDS-TMC
Magellan, a leading innovator of navigation and positioning solutions including the award-winning line of Magellan consumer GPS products, has chosen RAC
Trafficmaster Telematics (RTT) as its supplier of TMC traffic data for its Magellan RoadMate family of portable vehicle navigation devices.
May 2006
Medion chooses Trafficmaster RDS-TMC
Medion, the second largest Portable Navigation Device manufacturer in Europe, has chosen RAC Trafficmaster Telematics (RTT) as its traffic information provider in a three year agreement, starting in May 2006.
March 2006
Peugeot and Citroen RDS-TMC deal
Peugeot Citroen Automobiles UK Limited has chosen RAC Trafficmaster Telematics
(RTT) to exclusively supply Radio Data System Traffic Message Channel services (RDS TMC) to its factory fitted screen based satellite navigation systems. The service will run up until 2009 and will provide real-time traffic information to alert drivers to delays on the road.
February 2006
Audi RDS-TMC agreement
Audi UK has just extended its Radio Data System Traffic Message Channel (RDS TMC) agreement with RAC Trafficmaster Telematics (RTT). This means that live traffic data will now also be available on standard fit navigation systems fitted in A4 and A3 models. Trafficmaster’s TMC service will be available on factory fit DVD based navigation systems installed across all Audi models from November 2006.
February 2006
Subaru Smartnav standard fit
Trafficmaster plc today announces that Subaru's new super car, the Impreza WRX STI spec. D, will come as standard with Smartnav, an advanced satellite navigation system developed by Trafficmaster.
January 2006
Smartnav Isuzu Rodeo Denver contract
Trafficmaster today announces that its satellite navigation system, Smartnav, has been chosen for a standard fit on the new pick-up model from Isuzu, the Rodeo Denver Max SDT.
October 2005
Smartnav standard fit on Peugeot 407
Trafficmaster Plc, the leading journey management company, has signed an agreement with the Peugeot Motor Company to fit its Smartnav satellite navigation
into new 407 models.
October 2005
Norwich Union contract
Trafficmaster, the leading supplier of digital traffic information and intelligent in-vehicle services, has signed a five year contract with Norwich Union (NU) to deliver “Pay As You Drive”™ (PAYD) insurance services to the motorist.
August 2005
Trafficmaster contract with Garmin
Trafficmaster PLC ("Trafficmaster" or the "Company") today announces that RAC Trafficmaster Telematics has signed a three year agreement with Garmin Ltd, a global manufacturer of GPS receivers and automotive navigation units
May 2005
Honda RDS-TMC contract
Trafficmaster Plc, the UK’s leading provider of real time traffic information, announces the completion of its RDS TMC (Radio Data System Traffic Message Channel) contract with major motor manufacturer, Honda Motor Europe.
January 2005
Chevrolet offers Smartnav
Chevrolet launches into the UK market this month with a range of small and medium family cars providing quality, value for money and excellent customer service. As a major feature of its launch into the UK, Chevrolet has chosen Smartnav satellite navigation by Trafficmaster as its approved accessory across all models.
July 2004
Hyundai Trajet fits Smartnav
Hyundai launches the special edition Trajet SE with Smartnav, an advanced satellite
navigation system from Trafficmaster.
July 2004
Smartnav is Auto Express winner
Smartnav, the advanced satellite navigation system from Trafficmaster, has been awarded the honour of best Satellite Navigation System of the Year 2004 by leading motoring publication, Auto Express.
April 2003
Standard fit Smartnav deals announced
Trafficmaster today announces that it has secured further agreements for Smartnav, its award-winning intelligent satellite navigation system, to be standard on a number of new models. This includes new programmes for Mazda and Hyundai and an extension of the Peugeot relationship.
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Contacts
General Media
Georgina Read
01234 759315
georgina.read@ trafficmaster.co.uk
Financial Media
Georgina Read
01234 759315