Failure in EU routing software: MAIL GARMIN!!

I would like to bring you the following under your attention:
On the Dutch GPS board, there is an action going on in regard to the failing routing algorithms in the Zumo (and Nuvi) modells.

When set to "avoid highway's, even other major roads are avoided
In other cases (long distances), if you set "avoid highway's this is completely being ignored, and you can still find yourself on a highway. So this "avoidence" setting is not working properly!!
You are either send over too small roads, or you are directed over highways, even though you don't want to.

Time for some action: PLEASE JOIN US AND SEND GARMIN AN EMAIL ABOUT THIS!

Mail:
cartography@garmin.com Subject: Failing NT software

As an example you can paste this tekst into it:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to inform abouth a Bug/Feature in the Zumo's software

When the setting Avoiding Highways is active in Europe, not only highways (Interstates called in the Usa), but also the main roads (US-Highways called in the Usa) between city's are avoided. The avoidance is so strong, that only little roads are used in calculation of a route and often we are routed through city centers.

For very few tours this is good, but for secondary road trips from A to B, we only need to avoid real highways (Interstates called in the Usa).
Another problem is that if you plan a long route (+150km) and you set "avoid highway" on; in many occasions, it will still send you over the highway / interstate. So this "avoidence" setting is not working properly in both ways.

Suggestions for a new firmware update:
- Change the avoidancey rules of highways (interstates called in the usa) to exlude avoidance of main roads (US-Highways called in the Usa)
- Change the Avoid Highways in Avoid Interstates and add an extra choice for avoidance of Main Roads (US-Highways called in the Usa), in the Avoidances menu.
- Make these changes work, even over longer routes.

I hope you will take my suggestion in consideration.

kind regards,

*** YOUR NAME ****

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Done


I have led groups before where my zumo has taken me on some strange routes through cities and obscure back roads. I was Mr. popular when i kept taking us through cities

As previously reported I had a similar problem in Switzerland with 'avoid toll roads' when the Zumo 550 routed me onto a motorway. The reason for avoiding toll roads was that I didn't want to spend €40 on a vignette.

I was going from Andermatt to Barcelona and when the Zumo 'avoid toll road' routing did seem to work it routed me through Italy. WTF!!

Tim

I think perhaps people may be expecting a little more from the small computer that is a Garmin that can be reasonably expected?
The algorithyms (spelling?) that are used to calc and recalc best routes may have other provisos built in to prevent excessive journey times. I.e the world is round and there are a numbers of ways to get from A to B and in one case you could go the wrong long way round if you so desired and in theory still arrive at B (extreme case). To avoid such obviously wrong routing I'd imagine Garmin placed limits on routing rules to prevent such wierd alternatives.
You also have to consider the map data used (bought in from others) and this itself can result in odd routes being picked or not what the user wanted/expected.
Ultimately if you use a GPS a map is also a valuable tool so that you can pre-plan routes to ensure you remain reasonably on track or stop to check where you've ended up and help chose alternate options than the map computer, which cant read minds, is offering.
This is why Artic drivers(and others) who blindly follow GPS end up on unclassified single track roads, the map data usually has these down as national speed limit and if you pick fastest route they sometimes get included in the path plotted.
Local knowledge and common sense should always be used rather than bieng a lemming and metaphorically speaking "d(r)iving off a cliff"

ECM said:

...When set to "avoid highway's, even other major roads are avoided. In other cases (long distances), if you set "avoid highway's this is completely being ignored, and you can still find yourself on a highway. So this "avoidence" setting is not working properly!!

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IIRC when selecting "Avoid X" the unit treats it as a request ie the unit would still direct you along a Highway / Toll Road etc if the alternative was so daft to be impractical. I'm just guessing thats what's happening, especially as you mention "long distances"

Does anybody know if Garmin will be at the NEC this year, It maybe worth having a word there.

Edit: Yes, Stand: HALL1, 1F45

Taff said:

IIRC when selecting "Avoid X" the unit treats it as a request ie the unit would still direct you along a Highway / Toll Road etc if the alternative was so daft to be impractical. I'm just guessing thats what's happening, especially as you mention "long distances"

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Quite right. Garmin actually state this somewhere - either in the manual or possibly in the FAQ on their website.

Yes but compared to Tomtom, the avoidences in these units work fine! Same with older Garmins like the 26xx series. Then you get the fine line of "avoid but not at all cost" working mutch mutch better.

It is in the new Zumo and Nuvi line (NT mapping) where it fails.

To my opinion you should give up this project once and for all.

- Automatic routing on the GPS is only good for finding the quickest way from here to there. You can't control what roads you will ride on. Sometimes your road preference setting give the result you want but you never know when. It's not predictable.

- The only working way to select roads is to do it manually on the PC with MapSource and then upload a set of routes to the GPS. On the PC screen you can verify the roads selected an make the (very few) modifications needed to end up on the preferred road types.

You are partialy right.

But if they can make it work for a 26xx and all Tomtom's, it must be working in the Zumo an Nuvi's as well right??

ECM said:

You are partialy right.

But if they can make it work for a 26xx and all Tomtom's, it must be working in the Zumo an Nuvi's as well right??

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Very much agree with you on that.

ECM said:

You are partialy right.

But if they can make it work for a 26xx and all Tomtom's, it must be working in the Zumo an Nuvi's as well right??

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Agreed