Disappointed with Speed Camera Accuracy

[Dingo1974]

Hello everyone

Firstly I'm new to the forum and TomTom but have used sat nav for a few years now.

I was given a Go Live 750 for Christmas, very nice indeed I thought. Overall I'm happy with the navigation side of things but the safety camera information is hopelessly incorrect.

As part of my work I visit sites all over the country. So far I found all the Specs camera info west of Bristol on the M4 is incorrect as well as M6 north of Birmingham and the M25 clockwise off the M4. If the camera is actually in the system then it is reported as a fixed camera. I know these cameras can pop up quite quickly but some have been in position for months now.

The 750 always misses a fixed camera on the road from Bristol to Shepton so It's not just Specs it has issues with. Where possible I have tried to add/remove cameras via the screen but this isn't very practical while driving alone most of the time.

I contacted TomTom customer services but their reply was a waste of time. My old Road Angel unit while the build quality was rubbish at least gave me some confidence on the safety camera side of things.

I've had the 750 update many times using the TomTom Home software so I'm fairly confident it should have all the latest info installed.

Is there any other way of obtaining accurate safety camera info in the UK. I don't feel much like paying TomTom ?7.99 per month for their updates!

Any help would be appreciated.

Ian

 

[dhn]

Welcome to TTF.

If you wish a UK speed caamera database that is current, accurate and constantly updated, you do NOT want TomTom's subscription.

May I suggest you get a subscription for a proper speed camera database from pocketgpsworld.com. See more information here.

If I lived in the UK, I'd subscribe without hesitation.

Also, a supermod here, Mike Alder is UK based and is a moderator at that site as well. He could help you with any issues.

 

[mikealder]

My old Road Angel unit while the build quality was rubbish at least gave me some confidence on the safety camera side of things.

I've had the 750 update many times using the TomTom Home software so I'm fairly confident it should have all the latest info installed.

One strange thing is that Road Angel supply the data for the premium Safety Cameras TomTom supply with the x50 units! Have a look at what you can do with the PGPSW database as its far more accurate, easy to install/ configure and is updated practiacally every week, better still if you are a subscriber and are the first person to report a camera thats missing from the database then you qualify for free lifetime membership - Mike

 

[Dingo1974]

One of the reasons I went for the TomTom was I'd read that Road Angel were providing them with camera info but from what I've seen they are miles apart. If I'd have known the TT was so poor I'd have had 2nd thoughts.

Anyway, I have now downloaded the zoned database info from pgpsw together with the alert voices, all installed very simply.

I'm driving from Bristol to Aylesbury tomorrow night so will give it a good test then.

One quick question with regard to the pgpsw info, when an update is available is it just a case of copying the download onto the TomTom in the same manner as the initial install?

Thanks

 

[mikealder]

To update the database from PGPSW simply extract the files from the download directly to the device and put them in the Europe/ Western_Europe map folder as applicable, you have no need to alter any of the warnings as these remain the same post update.
The updates to the database are usually released each Wednesday - Mike

 

[grahammackie]

Hi,

My name is Graham Mackie and I am the MD of Road Angel here in the UK. I hope you don't mind me jumping in here but I try to keep an eye on a wide range of forums as they are an invaluable place to gain an insight into customer issues.

I am deeply concerned by some of the comments made in this post and would love to do what I can to sort them out. Our objective when agreeing to partner with TomTom was to give customers of all TomTom Live devices the same safety camera experience as a traditional Road Angel but with the added value of TomTom Navigation and HD Traffic.

In essence the database used by TomTom is exactly the same data used on all Road Angel units. However it helps to understand that the majority of data is transferred to the TomTom Live units via Home rather than 'over the air'. The only exception to this is 'live' mobile van sites which are transferred to Live devices within a few minutes of the Road Angel community reporting them using the inbuilt sim card.

This access to live vans alone must make our cameras a better investment than anything from PGPSW

This doesn't however explain missing cameras if the device has recently been plugged into 'Home' and has a valid subscription.

If any members would like me to get involved and get to the bottom of the problem then please drop me a mail to grahamdotmackie at roadangelgroupdotcom and I'll get my technical manager to help you with the issue.

regards

 

[Dingo1974]

Last night I drove from Bristol to just outside of Aylesbury so the journey was M32 - M4- M25 clockwise onto A41 and back again.

I ran both sets of data side by side to compare both on the TomTom.

This is what I found, Tomtom did not identify any of the Specs cameras on the M4 (jct 19-18 & jct 16-15 & Slough area) or M25 Specs cameras on the section I was on, not sure of the Junctions. On occasion Tomtom would sound for a random camera in the roadworks identifying it as a fixed camera location rather than Specs.

Also, TomTom failed to identify the mobile camera positions where they are frequently on the bridges over the M4.

I have a current Tomtom subscription as it came with 1 months free, I updated the Tomtom before leaving the house yesterday evening.

The Pgpsw software did state the speed limit was "unknown" through jctns 19-18 and 16-15 rather than the 50mph limit though the camera locations were correct and reported as Specs. The Pgpsw data seemed to make a speed camera announcement just as I was leaving roadwork sections, possibly due to not being directional?

Overall though Pgpsw was in a different league to the Tomtom for locations and information provided.

What I might do is run the Tomtom and my Road Angel Navigator side by side as I still have a current Road Angel annual subscription and compare the differences on those.

 

[mikealder]

The Pgpsw software did state the speed limit was "unknown" through jctns 19-18 and 16-15 rather than the 50mph limit though the camera locations were correct and reported as Specs. The Pgpsw data seemed to make a speed camera announcement just as I was leaving roadwork sections, possibly due to not being directional?

I got the following earlier today as an explanation for the "Unknown" speed limit:

roadworks cameras are particularly troublesome to verify especially as a lot of them are put in place with 'not in use' signs. in these cases we add them as 'unknown speed' so that users are aware that a camera is there and if the 'not in use' sign is removed they already have a warning. once fully in use and the speed lowered then we will mark the appropriate speed

Only last week on the M62 and the M1 did I spot a whole raft of Specs cameras that had very recently been moved along with the road works, the PGPSW database was spot on in accuracy through both sections of road, the TomTom connected device I was using was not, in addition the TomTom offered warnings for Specs cameras around the M6/ M55 interchange that were removed months ago and more locations on the M18/ M180, in response to Grahams point about being fully up to date, I performed an update on the device ten minutes prior to leaving my house on both the TomTom and the PGPSW offering - Mike

 

[Smeg77]

I did a nice drive from London to Northampton and back again this weekend, and the inaccuracy of the camera locations is quite significant.

My favourite is still the M11 where there has been a camera misplaced for the past 1 1/2 years, you'd have though by now they would have updated that one.

 

[cactus jack]

Hi,

I just registed to make this post! I agree 100% with the original poster.

I pay ?7.99 a month to TomTom and the traffic alerts are a bit hit and miss but generally useful for routing round known issues.

However, the camera alerts are dreadful! I drove past a camera on the A19 if I remember 6 times and reported each time using the button on the screen and still it doesn't come up.

It shows a speed camera on the M62 which was removed over a year ago and most of the time the average speed cams on motorways are wrong. It tells you they are there when they are not and vice versa.

I can't believe how appaling the service is considering how much we are asked to pay for it and if it doesn't dramatically improve quickly most people will cancel it soon enough (me included)

The PGPSW data I used many years ago and is excellent far superior to the current offering from Tom Tom.

CJ

 

[mikealder]

CJ, I would expect the old data from a couple of years ago from PGPSW would still be an improvement on the current offering from TomTom, if you still have a valid subscription for PGPSW then simply remove the TT data from the device and install the more accurate data from the third party offering - Mike

 

[falkirk81]

Just home from my holidays, and after a drive from Manchester airport up here to Newcastle, I thought I would post my thoughts on the PGPSW' DB vs Tomtoms LIVE DB with Road Angel.

I am not a frequent user of that route, but along it there is 2 long SPECS zones. One around Leeds, one around Disforth.

On the trip today, the TT cameras picked up just ONE camera heading NB in each of the 2 SPECS zones.

I know which DB I prefer out of the 2! I just can't believe some people are actually paying for this in their LIVE subscription.

Any thoughts welcome!

Steven

 

[dhn]

Steven, now you know why even here we sugget our Brit cousins get the decent speed cameras from PGPSW and not waste their time with TT's.

Hope your trip went well..........but from the sound of it (you know where), you were pretty busy correcting issues with the maps in Fla!

 

[falkirk81]

Dhn, yes maybe I am too expecting when I travel abroad. The city I live in here in the UK is pretty bad and needs a lot of corrections made whenever a new map comes out!

The USA trip was good, no traffic though apart from the latest iPhone app I was using!

The TT cameras are useless. My examples show that much. PGPSW ones are far superior. I can show you many examples where the TT database simply misses off cameras, or shows them where they have been removed years ago!

If I actually paid for my LIVE subscription, I would not be a happy customer in relation to the Safety Camera portion of my subscription!

Steven

 

[gatorguy]

Sorry that I missed you were here. Knew you had a trip planned but not that you'd already gone home till a few days ago. Next time over let's be sure to do that BBQ.

 

[falkirk81]

gatorguy, yeah I will be over in the Orlando area around every 6 months as I have family out there and now my grandmother has just applied for a Green card, there is another reason to come visit!

Hopefully one day i`ll be able to move out there, green card isn't a possibility just now

BBQ sounds good! I`ll hold you to that

Steven

 

[Jarrod]

Camera Data Base

Hope you dont mind me adding to this thread, I replaced my old Tomtom with the new IQ and being i do approx 2000 miles a month for my job i subscribed to the camera data base and i wish i had not bothered, i tend to Travel a lot between Devon and Sheffield and found on average approx 15 - 20 camera per journey that are either showing on the screen but physically not there, or not showing and the canera is phyically in place or just wrong postion or wrong camera type, I have being in a constant e-mail battle with Tom tom and they just keep being defencive and saying its operator error, I have got so feed up with Tom Tom and their attitude that i have asked for my money back and wish i had brought a road Angel as i see that at least the MD from this company has taken the time and effort to respond, i could not get my e-mails to pass the level 1 operatives, I even wrote down every camera that was wrong from Torquay to Sheffield and used the motor way markers to identifiy the locations just to prove to tom tom that there database was out of date and they just wrote back and said the information was worthless as i did not supply coordinates for the camera loactions in question so i have tried to highlight they have a problem until i am blue in the face and they just have got too big for there boots so i am taking my subscription else where and will probally not buy another tom Tom as aftersales is very important to me when i am deciding on a purchase and unfortaunlty Tom Tom have showed there true colours and there Camera Data base iwould only be worth considering if it was a free service and i dont know how they could offer this shabby subscription that is not fit for purpose

 

[mikealder]

Jarrod, Have you considered the PGPSW database to load up on your device and for a change you will have a decent accurate camera warning system.

All changes are verified by a team of trusted users so nothing gets deleted or added without being checked, only this afternoon I went to look at a local site where someone had requested the deletion of a fixed camera (Gatso), the request for deletion was denied as the camera is still sat there next to the side of the road - This is the level of integrity we all expect from using PGPSW data, and one of the reasons its still by far the best - Mike