2023 TomTom Traffic Index: new methodology
For this edition of its Traffic Index, TomTom has modified its approach to calculating the cost of driving. Previously, our data scientists calculated congestion (= time lost in traffic) by measuring the additional time required to complete a trip compared to how long that same trip would take in free-flowing traffic – the given congestion levels were the ratio between driven times vs. base times.
This year, we’re assessing the time, cost and CO2 emission per mile driven, and simulating how long it takes to complete a 10-km (or 6-mile) trip within a city, for typical EV, petrol and diesel cars. For the first time, we also worked on 2 analysis zones: the metropolitan area of each city (varying according to the size of the agglomeration), and the urban ultra-center (within a radius of 5 km around the ultra-center).
Costs of driving
TomTom defines the cost of driving as the amount of time, fuel and CO2 used per km or per mile. The cost of driving is the difference between the figures in optimal traffic conditions and the actual average figures, considering the extra amount of average time spent on the road. TomTom collects real-time fuel prices for thousands of stations around the world. To assess fuel costs, TomTom data is based on country-averaged daily pricing over 2022.
Emissions Methodology
Emission from traffic is directly proportional to a vehicle’s energy consumption. To raise those consumption models, TomTom used the PHEM (Passenger car and Heavy-duty Emission Model) simulation tool developed by the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz). PHEM calculates the energy required to perform any observed driving maneuvers (speeds, accelerations) from TomTom data for different road profiles, and estimates the resulting emissions, based on the vehicle efficiency, vehicle and energy type (petrol, diesel or electric), as well as speeds.
The TomTom Traffic Index report is available online
At
tomtom.com/Traffic-Index, anyone can discover where their city ranked in 2022, how travel times changed year on year, and how much their driving habits cost. Drivers can see the most congested days and even most congested hours of the day – and figure out the best times for them to commute.
About TomTom:
Billions of data points. Millions of sources. Hundreds of communities. We are the mapmaker bringing it all together to build the world’s smartest map. We provide location data and technology to drivers, carmakers, businesses, and developers. Our application-ready maps, routing, real-time traffic, APIs and SDKs enable the dreamers and doers to shape the future of mobility.
Headquartered in Amsterdam with 4,000 employees around the globe, TomTom has been helping people find their way in the world for over 30 years.
For further information:
Media Relations
Investor Relations
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/15cc572c-e1f7-48db-aaf4-0cc9087687e1
2023 TomTom Traffic Index
