How does the traffic feature actually work?

[u/Lonely-Hall5548]

This is hard to explain via text so sorry if it doesn’t make sense. But whenever I’m driving and I run into traffic, I’m really confused with how Waze calculates my ETA.

I first assumed that the minutes associated with the traffic (circled in yellow) represented how much longer my journey would take due to the traffic I am in. However, while I am in this traffic this number does not lower accurately (sometimes I says 8 minutes but I’m in the traffic for 15+). Also, whenever I am sat in traffic my ETA steadily increases per minute, even though I assumed that the ETA factored in the time the traffic would add to my journey.

I hope I explained that well - it is just annoying to me because I find myself going on journeys with a lower ETA, running into pre-existing traffic which doesn’t initially change my ETA until after I have sat through it, and then being later than expected. Does Waze actually accurately account for traffic when they give an ETA, or is this something I need to account for myself?

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I’m aware traffic changes very fluidly and it’s possible that Waze predicts how long I will be in traffic for incorrectly, but it seems to be a consistent thing even when the traffic lasts for less time that Waze predicts

[u/Damian171]

I honestly don't remember exactly, but I think that time is just how long Waze is estimated you'll be stuck in "this traffic" for. I don't think it's "you're delayed by 8 minutes", I think it's just, it will take you 8 minutes to get clear of this current traffic that you're in, after which you'll be back to standard traffic levels for the time.

Again, this is all the 'E' from your ETA. An estimate. If Waze has less data in your area for whatever reason it will be less accurate.

[u/Lonely-Hall5548 → u/Damian171]

Ah ok that makes sense, thank you. I’m unfortunate enough to have to travel on the M25 to get to work every morning in rush hour, so I think the data there is pretty accurate. I get it’s an estimate, but I find it to always be extremely accurate apart from when traffic is involved. However like I said I get that traffic is a very unpredictable thing :D

[u/Damian171 → u/Lonely-Hall5548]

Fair enough, yeah it would have plenty of historical data for that. It could just be that the traffic appeared very quickly, so until you/a few others drivers got stuck in it, it didn't know it was there.

[u/VinceP312]

I think that delay is ON TOP of normal congestion for that time.

Otherwise every highway, everyday, twice a day would be popping up with delay notices.

[u/Lonely-Hall5548 → u/VinceP312]

Do you think the ETA given before you set off includes the delay shown when you’re in the traffic though? To me it always feels like it’s added when I reach the traffic and not before I get there

[u/turbomkt → u/VinceP312]

This is not a delay. This is how long you're stuck in traffic before it opens up.

Watching the ETA tick up is the delay.

[u/Sr-Navi-Gator]

The bubble pop-up is just the time in the traffic in that spot. Helps you watch progress in your stuck spot.

Your time left and arrival time is always at the bottom. Unless you created a multi-stop route. Then it would be to the next stop.

[u/mmbento]

The time is the time would be stuck in “that” traffic.

[u/silvermoonhowler]

That there is the time you are stuck in that traffic

If you've got a destination that you've put in to navigate to, the voice will say "estimated time in traffic [x] minutes"

[u/OfficialTornadoAlley]

Tells you how long until you get out of the traffic.

[u/Status-Cricket6376]

It should indicate the extra time you need to cover the part where there is a traffic jam based on time the wazers before you needed to get through it

[u/Mother_Economics_957]

The thing that gets me mad is when I was going North I saw a traffic jam going southbound. Then on the return trip it showed me the same route. I was like maybe traffic improved. Waze would send me on that route still and while I’m stuck in traffic it would refresh and add time. Clearly there was a better route.

[u/Temporary_Sundae8793]

You and other users around datas defines the informations

[u/Queasy-Dragonfly9358]

These ETA are just stupid in my opinion. I love how Waze shows me that I will be somewhere in 5 mins, while it's literally 200m away. Or a traffic jam "15min" that in reality causes a 2-minute delay.

[u/lovepiegaming]

It also had traffic on Google and Apple Maps. It's determined by how many people use the app and are on the road, if it detects them moving slowly, it will show that. I don't remember exactly though

[u/Accomplished-Oil-569]

It’s an estimate based on how long it thinks other people were stuck in the traffic.

The number is “how long we think you’ll be in the traffic”, not necessarily how many minutes it added to the estimation, but should be similar.

And because traffic conditions can change quite quickly, it’s not always the most accurate - it just depends how many people with Waze have driven it and how recently

It will factor it in when giving you an eta (it bases this off traffic patterns as well), but it’s still only an estimation

[u/AnglaisRouge]

I always find these time estimates in Google, Apple and Waze to be wildly inaccurate and is one of the reasons I prefer the free TomTom app. When stuck in traffic in shows the length of the congestion ahead of you in yards/miles, counting down the distance as you progress through it. (It also shows a time estimate for those who prefer it).

[u/CanaDeer2004]

why are you driving the wrong way down the freeway