There's nothing more frustrating than getting caught in a traffic jam, and this is especially true if you're a tradesman driving between jobs. Arriving late not only costs you time, but can also put a dent in your reputation.
Thankfully, there are plenty of apps on the market to help you avoid gridlock and cut travel times. Here's a quick run-down of some the most popular travel apps that could help your trades business.
UK Traffic Pro
This app provides instant access to more traffic cameras than any other app, with a total of 2,136 across 16,000 UK locations. Live traffic feeds use technology from the Transport Protocol Experts Group to plan the best route and warn you about any traffic snarl-ups, as well as roadworks, breakdowns, water mains bursts, speed restrictions and weather warnings.
INRIX XD
Voted the best UK traffic-busting app by Auto Express, INRIX XD covers 4.6 million miles of road across 40 countries. It's not limited to major roads and motorways, but also covers a wide range of secondary roads. This regional coverage makes the app particularly valuable for those based outside London. It uses its own SpeedWaves technology to increase real-time accuracy of speeds on minor roads by up to 70%. Users can create their own personalised navigation systems and set up alerts notifying them of the best time to start their journey as well as the fastest route.
ViaMichelin
The Michelin app covers a wide range of roads from motorways to ring roads, both in the UK and across Europe. Users can calculate how much a journey will cost in terms of petrol (based on vehicle type) and tolls, to help choose the cheapest route.
Alternatively, you can opt for the fastest route, Michelin-recommended route or discovery routes. To make your journey even more of a breeze, the app contains alerts for 30,000 hazardous zones across Europe, as well as real-time traffic updates.
Waze
Based on other drivers providing real-time updates, Waze is the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation app. When you connect to Facebook you can see the ETA of colleagues also driving to your destination, allowing you to stay updated on each other's progress and coordinate arrival times. As well as reporting on traffic jams, police and road hazards, users also update the app with local fuel prices, meaning others can locate the cheapest petrol available in the area. As Waze describes it: “It's like a personal heads-up from a few million of your friends on the road”.
Are there any apps we missed that make life easier for you? Or any tips you’ve learned from your experience on the road? Share them in the comments below!
The apps detailed within this article are for information purposes only and are not endorsed by or affiliated with AXA Insurance UK plc.
