Tom Tom is providing a live traffic map via the web for the use of travelers to get a good idea of the traffic conditions prior to planning a trip. Presently the area of coverage is limited to Europe and South Africa.

Clusters of traffic incidents are represented by a single icon, so users can see at a glance the number and severity of problems in a particular area, TomTom said. A detailed incident report list shows the length, delay, and cause of a jam, so they can decide whether to plan an alternative route.

The problem is that the connected GPS devices are much more prevalent in Europe than in the United States, where TomTom has launched the GO 2505 M LIVE, which is scheduled to go on sale in the United States in mid-year. The 2505 M LIVE is, so far, the only connected GPS that TomTom has launched that includes the HD Traffic service.

Meanwhile, smartphones such as Google's Android-based platform and its Google Maps have only recently begun factoring in traffic data when calculating the fastest route to a destination. Google recently said that it would begin using its real-time traffic data to calculate routes, which it anonymously collects from smartphone users.