The traffic watchdog shares tips for 37 million Americans hitting the road this holiday weekend

CHICAGO, June 28 — (PRNewswire) — NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, today provided tips to millions of Americans setting off on road trips over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. NAVTEQ helps consumers avoid traffic everyday through NAVTEQ Traffic.com, the nation's leading traffic portal. The portal recently introduced a series of enhancements—including faster-loading and easier-to-read routes around traffic—that expressly address the needs of harried road trippers.

More than 37 million Americans will take road trips of 50 miles or more over the Independence Day holiday, resulting in heavy congestion along most-traveled routes, according to the American Automobile Association. NAVTEQ Traffic.com offers these tips for avoiding the worst of it.

• Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front – Yes, tailgating can cause accidents that cause congestion—but the mere act of suddenly stopping and starting has a ripple effect that can slow down hundreds of cars behind you. Extra space between cars smoothes traffic flow.
• Avoid lane changes – You only think the next lane over is moving faster; chances are, it's not. And sudden or dramatic lane changes also cause ripple effects that impact the entire column of traffic behind you. If you must switch lanes, give yourself time to do so.
• Avoid Friday P.M. and anytime Monday –  Holiday weekend traffic is at its worst during Friday p.m. rush. Consider going Friday or Saturday morning. Also, the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday this year, so consider traveling on the holiday itself and avoid Monday travel.
• Think outside the box – In other words, think outside the freeway. Consider taking routes, including side streets, which might be a little out of the way but ultimately faster. NAVTEQ Traffic.com factors in real-time traffic and historic traffic patterns to provide smarter alternative routing.
• Park away from the crowds – The closer you park to the fireworks, the longer it takes to get out. Park farther away and walk in.
• Avoid doing household errands at peak hours – If you can avoid peak hours to perform household errands, do it. You'll make the roads less congested for others who must travel and ultimately perform your errands faster at a less congested time.

How NAVTEQ Traffic.com can help:

Recent enhancements has made NAVTEQ Traffic.com easier to read and twice as fast to load. For holiday travelers:

• Check your drive time by typing in where you are and where you want to go and you'll receive the fastest route to your destination. You can even set up an alternate route in advance using the interactive traffic map.
• When you hit traffic, access http://mobi.traffic.com, free of charge, from your mobile phone or PDA. It will show you where the traffic is, and how to work around it.
• Save 1-866-MY-TRAFC (1-866-698-7232) to a phone favorites list before leaving home for fast access to NAVTEQ Traffic.com—ideal for avoiding heavy traffic, construction, and accidents.
• Send a SMS text message to get real-time traffic information for city hotspots. Simply text your CITY CODE, (NY, CHIC, PHL, LA, etc.) to TRAFC (87232). City codes can be found at http://bhelp.traffic.com/city-codes-used-for-sms.

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data (digital location content) enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world.  NAVTEQ supplies comprehensive digital location content to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions.  The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has more than 4700 employees located in 204 offices in 46 countries.

NAVTEQ and Traffic.com are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE NAVTEQ

Contact:

NAVTEQ Traffic.com Stella Smith of NAVTEQ Phone: +1-312-894-7614 Email Contact Bob Richter Phone: +1-212-802-8588 Email Contact for NAVTEQ Web: http://www.navteq.com