Explanation of navigation symbol

[alanwsg]

Can someone explain what this symbol (The two arrows, Btm. left) means.
It's shown approaching a roundabout where the route goes right (4th exit).
There's two lanes approaching the roundabout, it seems to suggest that you can use either lane but that's asking for trouble.

 

[dhn]

Welcome to TTF.

There are situations where the ALG coding in the application is misinterpreting the mapping data in certain locations, this may be one of them.

 

[alanwsg]

So what is the symbol supposed to mean?

 

[dhn]

It's supposed to mean that there is a road coming up that goes straight ahead as well as branches at one o'clock, three o'clock and 5 o'clock and you are supposed to take the three o'clock branch.

But it's the wrong symbol if indeed it's a roundabout you are heading into.

 

[alanwsg]

I've never seen a road that does that!

 

[mikealder]

What map and map version are you using currently as there was one from a few releases back that contained loads of errors such as the one in your picture - Mike

 

[alanwsg]

Ah that's interesting, I'm currently talking to TomTom support trying to get my maps updated to the latest version under the "Latest map guarantee" scheme which failed for me saying it had expired.

The map I have is UK & ROI v835.2419,
I know there's an updated version available.

 

[dhn]

Have there ever.........the current is 870 (yours is almost 2 years old) and 875 is due in a couple of weeks.

 

[mikealder]

Whilst this is from the iPhone app back in January 2011 so it will have been map V860 you can still see the same issue:



It seems to affect mostly "Roundabouts" otherwise known as "Rotorys" depending upon which side of the "pond" you are from, your original screen shot looks like the roundabout where the A22 joins the M25.

With the latest maps this issue seems to have been cleared up, the Latest Map Gaurantee is only valid for use in the first 28 days post purchase of the device, if it is indeed new then TomTom will probably want a copy of the receipt, best to get that scanned/ photographed so you can send it to them digitally via e-mail - Mike

 

[alanwsg]

Thanks for the reply.
I bought it last week from an Ebay shop (but brand new), so no real receipt.
Latest map guarantee says it's "Expired" (but when does the 28 days start?).
Tomtom support are looking at it, and it sounds quite hopeful (it's being escalated!). I think they should sort it as I feel it's a safety issue.

 

[Andy_P]

Don't get your hopes up, it's still like it on the latest v870 maps.

It does show it as a roundabout when you are still a mile or so away...



....but then it switches over to the same multi-arrow graphic that you've seen at about the point where the voice instruction cuts in "After 800 yards..."



This is the point where "Advanced Lane Guidance" kicks in to provide "helpful" lane-by-lane graphics and also the Reality View images turn on (where they exist), so some sort of "switch" is happening in the software at this point.

Although TomTom know there's a problem with these ALG graphics there are still hundreds of examples of them.

 

[alanwsg]

Ah yes, I've got 870.3406 now and it still does it.
I'll try it for a while but I might end up turning ALG off if it does this very often, I find it quite annoying.

 

[alanwsg]

Well, I've tried turning ALG off and it doesn't make any difference, the strange arrows still appear just before a roundabout.
In fact, I was out today and saw an even worse example, this is a roundabout where the route goes left (1st exit) ....

 

[Andy_P]

All it's saying is that the first exit is more or less straight on (there has to be a point where it stops being "left"and becomes "straight ahead"), and that you can take that exit from both approach lanes. Is that the case?

I don't think you CAN turn off ALG, only the 'Reality View' images.

 

[alanwsg]

All it's saying is that the first exit is more or less straight on (there has to be a point where it stops being "left"and becomes "straight ahead"), and that you can take that exit from both approach lanes. Is that the case?

Well, "No" & "No"....
The turn off is definitely 90 degrees left (You may be being fooled a bit by the image I posted, there is a slight r/h bend just before the roundabout which lines it up on 90 degrees as you finally approach).
And if you tried it from the r/h lane, sooner or later you'd plow into someone going straight on in the L/H lane.

I'm not sure what the difference is between ALG & 'Reality View', I pressed the icon that said "Show lane images".

 

[dhn]

ALG is Advanced Lane Guidance and is depicted by the white and pale blue arrows on the status bar such as shown in your screenshot.

Reality View is the appearance on screen of an exit with flashing arrows showing which lanes to stay in when exiting. Doesn't appear as frequently as ALG does and only for major exits off highways as a rule. Those images are what 'Hide/Show Lane images' means.

You want the icon to say 'Hide Lane images' for them to show. Confusing, eh?

 

[alanwsg]

So what's the story on these strange arrows?
There's obviously a fault somewhere, I would argue it's quite a dangerous one.
Is the problem in the map, or in the Tomtom s/w?
Are Tomtom aware and doing something about it?
Is there any milage in raising it with tomtom support?

 

[dhn]

Faulty interpretation of mapping data led to incorrect ALG symbols showing on maps in certain areas (yours is an example).

Presumably, updated maps (875 due soon) will have better coding, leading to fewer or no (hopefully) incorrect symbols.

TomTom is aware that the code doesn't work at times.

 

[alanwsg]

OK, Thanks for all the help, I'll wait and see what 875 brings.

 

[Andy_P]

There are so many of them, and they only seem to fix the ones they are told about.

So you might want to raise it with them.

You will need to supply exact Latitude and Longitude coordinates of the roundabout and exact details of the lane layout from all directions though, if you want them to take any notice.