If you're on your way to an important meeting or event and need to know the fastest route, Google Maps can help.
Google Maps now includes the ability to see the estimated time of your trip, based on real-time traffic conditions. The data will show up when you search for directions, and Google Maps will show how long several different routes will take with no traffic, as well as the estimated amount of time it will take based on the current traffic.
"In areas where the information is available, this new and improved feature evaluates current traffic conditions and is constantly being refreshed to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date estimate possible," Szabolcs Payrits, software engineer for Google Maps, wrote in a Thursday post.
Users might remember that Google Maps used to show estimates of trip times based on traffic. Google Maps used to say, for example, that a journey might take up to a certain amount of time in traffic. But that information was based on historic traffic data, and didn't always reflect real-time traffic conditions, so Google removed it last summer, a Google spokesperson told PCMag.com in a statement.
The refreshed traffic data comes from Android users who have opted to use the My Location feature on Google Maps for mobile.
"We hope being able to plan your travels based on current traffic information saves you time, and perhaps even prevents some road frustration," Payrits wrote. "Happy driving!"
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