Yesterday we officially announced nationwide AA Traffic availability on TomTom as well as for free on the AA Maps and AA Roadwatch websites.

Essentially what this means is that if you have one of the new TomTom Go Live 1000 or Go Live 1050 PND's you can now get real time traffic information anywhere that the Vodafone built in SIM card can get a connection.

In the past a lot of people (probably not Geekzone members) used to say they didn't need nav because they knew their way around. We predicted that in the future real time traffic would change that perspective because traffic congestion is a real problem. You may know your way around, but you don't know what obstacles might stop you from getting where you want to be and you also may not know an alternative route, or that route could also have its own problems.

I've had the opportunity to use a Go 1000 for a week now and I have to say I love it. It tells me what impact congestion is going to have on my journey and it gives me information where and when I need it. So many times in the past when I've been heading up north, or wanting to go over the Kopu Bridge, I've struggled with the question of which way do I go. Often there are signs for example going north saying take SH 16, but I know that is just a blanket suggestion based on history. Now I know what is really happening. A couple of years ago I got stuck on SH2 heading South from Hastings to the Wairarapa. I was stuck for 2 hours as police and fire dealt to a serious car accident. With the new TomTom I would have got to my destination at least an hour earlier despite having to travel further.

Check it out on this TV One news clip from last night.