CoPilot Olympic Traffic Update Launching Next Week

A few months ago, ALK Technologies, the creators of CoPilot Live Premium, announced that they will be launching an update for CoPilot Live Premium that will help those driving around London at the time of the Olympics know and understand where the games lanes are as well as provide Active Traffic updates to help drivers avoid busy routes.

We now hear that this update is launching next week in preparation for the beginning of the Olympic Games. The company also produced the infographic above which lists some of the facts about the games and what drivers and indeed, any other transport user in London will be facing over the next month.

Look out for more details next week on the CoPilot blog.

Full press release below:

Over 70% of Londoners don’t know when or where the Olympic Route Network applies and 64% are concerned about Olympic traffic
Results of YouGov survey come as CoPilot Live sat-nav launches new features to highlight affected routes

The results of a new YouGov survey commissioned by leading sat-nav app CoPilot Live reveal that the majority of Londoners are unclear about where and when Olympic Route Network (ORN) applies, with 71% unsure of the dates it will start and finish and 73% not knowing the roads it will cover.

Meanwhile over one in four Londoners (28%) had not even heard of the ORN which is a key part of London’s transport plans for the upcoming Olympic Games. Linking all competition venues and other key sites, such as Heathrow Airport, some parts of the ORN will be closed to the general public during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which could lead to drivers becoming delayed or even lost.

64% of people are concerned about the traffic disruption in London during the upcoming Games, with recent traffic problems, like the closure of part of the M4 last week, only adding to this. This is reflected by a quarter (25%) of those surveyed planning to avoid the capital during the Olympics. To avoid disruption 19% plan to use public transport, 21% aim to walk more, and 7% will use a bicycle. 11% of people meanwhile are intending to work more from home and one in ten (10%) have even planned to be on holiday during the Olympics to escape the traffic.

The figures are released as leading smartphone and tablet sat-nav app CoPilot Live Premium launches new features designed to help drivers avoid anticipated congestion in central London caused by the planned temporary road restrictions.

With these features, the CoPilot Live Premium sat-nav app will alert drivers if their route includes restricted roads within the ORN, and will also highlight key games venues and Points of Interest (POIs). In addition, CoPilot Live’s ActiveTraffic™ service will continuously monitor real-time road speeds and recommend the fastest route to the destination based on actual traffic conditions.

David Quin, Head of Consumer Applications at CoPilot Live says: “This week sees the introduction of road restrictions throughout Central London and it’s clear that despite an impressive Get Ahead of the Games media campaign, many Londoners are still unsure about which roads are affected by the ORN. Those drivers intending to drive in Central London over the next few weeks should certainly plan ahead, and it has to be hoped that traffic issues won’t steal the headlines from the epic sporting achievements to come.”

Availability

CoPilot Live Premium UK & Ireland costs £18.99 for lifetime-use navigation
CoPilot Live Premium Europe costs from £29.99

CoPilot Live Premium sat nav apps for iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices will include specific features to help drivers avoid potential disruption in London during July and August 2012. The features will be available via a free app update before 27th July, and will include warnings if your route includes part of the Olympic Route Network, key sporting venues and real-time traffic flow information throughout the city.

ENDS

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1168 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th – 13th July 2012. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all London adults (aged 18+).