U-Turns

[JukeBoxGuy]

I love my TomTom 720, but it has one annoying habit. It avoids u-turns at all costs. There are a lot of divided highways in my state and u-turns are often a fact of life, but rather that just calling for a u-turn, TomTom plots routes that take me around blocks and through neighborhoods. Sometimes the routes would take me more than a mile out of my way.

Is there any way to make TomTom more u-turn friendly?

 

[PSJ]

the reason is safety.

try setting the route planning to " shortest route ".

 

[sageuvagony]

I love my TomTom 720, but it has one annoying habit. It avoids u-turns at all costs. There are a lot of divided highways in my state and u-turns are often a fact of life, but rather that just calling for a u-turn, TomTom plots routes that take me around blocks and through neighborhoods. Sometimes the routes would take me more than a mile out of my way.

Is there any way to make TomTom more u-turn friendly?

I just flew back into town yesterday. I was in Tallahassee Florida. Any time I wanted to go to an address, the TomTom made me make huge circles or made me take a COMPLETELY different route only because it friggin avoids uturns. I went to walmart from my hotel. I followed its directions without thinking anything about it. I got there.. and all good. But when it was time to come back to the hotel, that's when I realized wal-mart was on the SAME DAMN ROAD as my hotel! To get to walmart it made me take a COMPLETELY different route! All because when I exit from the hotel, I can't make a left turn, only right. So instead of making me turn right then make a uturn, NOOOOOOO, it took me a COMPLETE BACK WAY! ugh! I will add screen shots in a few minutes.

 

[sageuvagony]

Here are the screenshots I promised. This is as dumb and annoying as it gets.

^^^This is from hotel to Walmart^^^

^^^This is from Walmart to hotel^^^

ALL of that CRAP just because TomTom doesn't like to do u-turns? I was faced with tons of this crap EVERY time I wanted to go somewhere. Each time I drove somewhere I had to pre-read each step to see if it was doing the same thing over and over.

 

[JukeBoxGuy]

I just flew back into town yesterday. I was in Tallahassee Florida. Any time I wanted to go to an address, the TomTom made me make huge circles or made me take a COMPLETELY different route only because it friggin avoids uturns. I went to walmart from my hotel. I followed its directions without thinking anything about it. I got there.. and all good. But when it was time to come back to the hotel, that's when I realized wal-mart was on the SAME DAMN ROAD as my hotel! To get to walmart it made me take a COMPLETELY different route! All because when I exit from the hotel, I can't make a left turn, only right. So instead of making me turn right then make a uturn, NOOOOOOO, it took me a COMPLETE BACK WAY! ugh! I will add screen shots in a few minutes.

Ahhh. You feel my pain, then.

U-turns can be made both legally and safely. My friend has a Garmin and it has an option for u-turns. TomTom will call for one when it sees no other alternative (I've tested it. Florida has a lot of lonely roads. It says, "turn around when possible."), so there must be a way to tweak the program to allow u-turns.

 

[sageuvagony]

Ahhh. You feel my pain, then.

U-turns can be made both legally and safely. My friend has a Garmin and it has an option for u-turns. TomTom will call for one when it sees no other alternative (I've tested it. Florida has a lot of lonely roads. It says, "turn around when possible."), so there must be a way to tweak the program to allow u-turns.

That is exactly correct. It will say "turn around when possible" when there is absolutely no other way to your destination. My Magellan will instantly say "Make the next legal u-turn" as soon as I miss my turn if it thinks making the next right will waste time. Strangely enough, Tallahassee has MANY areas on that road that are meant ONLY for u-turns, which is something I rarely ever see here in Tampa. Every 20 seconds of driving you will see where you can make a left, but there is no street, only a u-turn is possible.

Thank you TomTom for keeping me safe

/sarcasm



Edit: Ohh and I forgot to mention, the back roads that it made me take, were FILLED with speed humps, and 2 school zones and a church zone... WOW...

 

[dhn]

Want a link to Garmin gps units?

 

[sageuvagony]

Want a link to Garmin gps units?

NOoOoOO I still wuv my TomTom *hugs TomTom*

 

[hditkof]

U Turn time

The fastest way to get to my office is to make a U-turn in front of our building. Instead of a u-turn my 720 wants me to take 4 rights (about 1 mile).

I noticed today that the time to arrival before the u-turn was 5 minutes, 15 seconds. After the u-turn it was 15 seconds. Tomtom was assuming 5 minutes for a u-turn that takes about 30 seconds.

Is this time the same for all u-turns? Is there anyway to adjust this. I have not used Mapshare yet.

Thanks,

Howie

 

[PSJ]

I would say the 5 min 15 sec was for following the TT's route of 4 rights (about 1 mile).

Once you diverted from that route with the u-turn, it recalulated to 15 sec.



You will find that the TT will try to avoid unsafe moves like u-turns or timely moves like left turns.


.

 

[mvl]

Tomtom routing assumes uturns are unsafe and has a severe bias against them.

I agree that this should be a preference as it chooses some pretty unreasonable alternatives to u-turns.

The calculation bias against left-turns is not so severe, and I think it is fair given that you usually have to wait 15-30 seconds for a gap in oncoming traffic when attempting a left turn.

 

[hditkof]

I would say the 5 min 15 sec was for following the TT's route of 4 rights (about 1 mile).

Once you diverted from that route with the u-turn, it recalulated to 15 sec.



You will find that the TT will try to avoid unsafe moves like u-turns or timely moves like left turns.


.

Just before I made the u-turn it was 5 min, 15 seconds. Just as I completed the u-turn it changed to 15 seconds. These times were for the u-turn not the four rights (I need to make a left from the highway exit to get to the u-turn, Tomtom wants me to take four rights instead of the left and u-turn). The four rights are clearly wrong, the left and u-turn are correct. The u-turn is needed because the road has a median strip preventing a left turn into our building.

 

[mvl]

What's even more annoying is that tomtom doesn't choose uturns even when there are deliberate U-turn lanes and U-turn stoplight sequences.

I understand that in some parts of the country Uturns are unsafe, but in many parts of the country they are deliberately designed traffic flow elements, to prevent traffic backups from left turners.

This really should be a preference if tomtom is planning to take such a harsh response.

I've found the workaround is to use mapshare and put turn restrictions or block roads in the alternative side "turnaround" streets (don't do it on roads you intend to use, and don't share it with other users). Once you do that enough, the routing will eventually give up and permit the uturn.

 

[canderson]

What's even more annoying is that tomtom doesn't choose uturns even when there are deliberate U-turn lanes and U-turn stoplight sequences.

It can and will IF the person designing the map was aware of it and included it. They even seem to be relatively aware of median islands that inhibit left turns out of lots, etc.

One example of a recent U-turn was a flip around on W 6th Ave in Denver. The median prohibited a left turn into the store lot, but Suzie had me make a U-turn at the next light and come back at the lot entrance going the other direction.

I've never had Suzie suggest pulling a U in the middle of a block in the city, and she's even averse to it in the country. When on occasion I blow a turn on a country road, she gives me the "Turn around when possible" business, leaving it up to me to be as silly as I want

 

[GAW]

Don't do everything Suzie tells you (even if you have a major crush on her like dhn does).

She has tried to get me to make a U turn on a freeway with a 4 foot high divider, and two days ago tried to get me on the Bay Bridge in SF on an entrance that is diamond lane restricted ($391 minimum fine). Maybe the latter is because I have publically said I prefer Kate.

 

[dhn]

Did you check the option to avoid HOV lanes?

Also, I never said Susan was bright. . Hot, maybe.....Bright? Not at times.

 

[canderson]

Don't do everything Suzie tells you (even if you have a major crush on her like dhn does).

She has tried to get me to make a U turn on a freeway with a 4 foot high divider, and two days ago tried to get me on the Bay Bridge in SF on an entrance that is diamond lane restricted ($391 minimum fine). Maybe the latter is because I have publically said I prefer Kate.

I take it you're not the guy who rides with the blow-up Suzan in the right seat to avoid the diamond lane issue?

It's odd just how variable things are around the country. Even in the suburban areas of Denver, Suzie is pretty deft and picking up on where turns make sense and where they don't. As an example, she seems well aware of where left turns out of parking lots are not possible due to medians. She also seems to know where a lot of the lights are (although you'd never know it from the ETA estimates) since she will often suggest a left turn at a light rather than an optional turn of equal distance without the advantage of the light. Sure would be fun to sit down with the TT engineers and pry all of those little proprietary tidbits out of them.

 

[mvl]

FYI. I found a fix for the u-turn issue, when you are on a divided highway:

https://www.tomtomforums.com/showthread.php?t=15619

 

[killerz298]

Here are the screenshots I promised. This is as dumb and annoying as it gets.

^^^This is from hotel to Walmart^^^

^^^This is from Walmart to hotel^^^

ALL of that CRAP just because TomTom doesn't like to do u-turns? I was faced with tons of this crap EVERY time I wanted to go somewhere. Each time I drove somewhere I had to pre-read each step to see if it was doing the same thing over and over.

Unfortunately I have been reviewing the overall map for each trip I take to make sure the TT didn't do something stupid like this.

 

[crgator]

the reason is safety.

try setting the route planning to " shortest route ".

I tried this on a couple of places where Tomtom avoided uturns. Worked like a charm. I'm not sure how viable this is if you're in an area you are greatly unfamiliar with, but I think I would check details and show route demo (or browse as images) if I were in unfamiliar territory to try to compare.