Can anybody explain how the traffic messages work on the sat nav , i have never subscibed for this service.

I'm not sure if it different in your country, but in the UK Classic FM Radio broadcast traffic information, such as road works accidents and the like giving the location of the inncident for the satnav to display, and gives a delay time too.

So if the inncident is on your route the satnav will calculate the delay time to actual time and give you a option to divert around it. This can be set as manual or automatic.

The problem is that its only as good as the information Classic FM recieves to transmit, so there is so many time that you think shall i or shall i not divert around the inncident and not bother diverting only to find the road it totally clear anyway.

I take its warning with a pinch of salt and make my own mind up where its actually there or not.

It display a series of coloured stars on the satnav screen which you can put the crosshairs over and press a info button, then the screen says , accident, congestion etc etc Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Thanks for the reply

I seems to work fine in Europe,

My Garmin has the traffic alert information and most times it tells me that there are delays but when I reach the area they seem to have gone, so I started to take less notice of them.

Driving to Stanstead to catch a flight, latest check-in time is 22.05. Driving down M11 at 20.45 approaching Duxford (last junction before Stanstead junction, about 20 miles to go). Garmin says that there is hold-ups ahead with a three hour delay! With my past experience and the overhead gantries showing nothing I choose to ignore it and carry on past Duxford (cannot now get off M11 until Stanstead). Round the next corner to see red lights as far as the eye can see, thumb steering wheel, curse, bang head against window. Garmin now says estimated arival time of 23.40 After 15 minutes of standing still notice tail lights in distance start to move. I do arrive at Stanstead and check in with about 10 minutes to spare. Moral: sometimes you have to trust the technology, this time I was lucky but missing a flight can be expensive in time and cash.