Tom vs. Co-driver No.1

[Ubique]

No, it's not some sort of computer game or an observation of 'road rage'...

The premise is simple, crowdsource willing participants by giving them 'free' stuff and harvest their input data - Google have been doing it for years, give them your soul (or at least the checksum for it), they sell it on and give you adverts in return....

TomTom & OooNo (the producers of the devices in the title) are actually using the model for some good, as far as motorists are concerned - and no adverts...
I initially bought a Co-driver No.1, there is a No.2 (stop sniggering at the back!) with extra Android Auto and Apple Carplay that is of no interest for £70, the No.1 is £20
There is a free to download mapping app but the navigation function is only available if you have a No.2... Again, it's not something I have a need for.

The device works by alerting you with configurable visual and/or audible cues, dependent upon the criteria... your input is to confirm the camera or other device / event's location - or confirm it is no longer present by pressing the large button
A couple of test drives, all worked well - until the weekday route, essentially I drive on a parallel road to a section of average speed camera'd dual carriageway, I get an erroneous alert, presumably due to GPS accuracy - even though the mapping app shows the correct road. As it's a section of road, not a single camera, the LED's keep flashing. They also keep flashing when I do a 90 degree turn away from the road, and keep flashing until I park up and walk away from the car sufficiently for the Bluetooth connection to drop.... The only way of clearing it on the move is to force the app to close then manually reconnect.
Obviously I've contacted support who have responded with the usual 'have you deleted the pairing / app and reinstalled?' then not responded for another five days so far...

So I ordered a Tomtom 'Tom' - same system, but no 'low spec' option, price and functionality roughly the same as Co-driver No.2 (free app, Android Auto, Apple Carplay & routable mapping)
I've run the pair of devices on the same phone with no co-existence issues (also stays connected to the BT handsfree in the car) for a couple of days, including on the 'problematic' route, it behaves as expected with no false positives on the parallel road, I've also travelled along the average speed monitored road and left it at a junction, the Tom goes silent as it should but the Co-driver No.1 keeps alerting
The Tom & Co-driver No.1 notify of fixed and mobile cameras in good time, but the Tom will only notify of average speed zones once in it, the Co-driver No.1 gives notice, in practice it doesn't make a huge difference as there are signs and the monitoring doesn't start before the zone anyway.

For those that will 'huff & puff' about speed, both devices also warn of congestion, traffic queues and other hazards, the point of the above is to solicit input from other users of either device and to give my experience, it also shows, yet again, that 'buy cheap, buy twice' really does happen (although distance selling regs help!). I've got another few days of side-by-side testing but my thoughts so far is that I'll be keeping 'Tom'.

CO-DRIVER NO1 - Live traffic info on road hazards and speed cameras

With a CO-DRIVER NO1, you always know what the road brings. Be informed of road hazards and all types of speed controls. More than 3 million drivers use the CO-DRIVER NO1 to share live traffic information and stay safe on the road.

ooono.com

https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/navigation/promo/tom-by-tomtom/

 

[Turbo]

What exactly do these devices do?

Are they a satnav or speed camera warning systems? Or both?

 

[Ubique]

The device itself is just the human interface - transfers outputs from the phone app and accepts input from the human. The clever stuff is all in the backend where the map routing, speed camera / hazard database is stored (and updated by the users) so yes, the hardware & app combination can do both. Excluding my issue with alerts not cancelling when leaving the marked area with the OooNo version, they're very similar - and of course only as good as the data going in.

 

[mike 109444]

"(and updated by the users)" Could this be the issue ? I have a Tom Tom sat nave and if I recall there was an option to "share" info when you spot cameras etc. Could it be that someone has selected that the strech of road you are talking about has been highlighted as having a camera in BOTH directions mabe, and extended beond where it should end.

 

[bricol]

Whatever you use, I don't think many will "huff and puff", especially those of us who use a car every day to get to work, or in their work all day.

My morning commuting route has recently had several limit changes. It's very easy to use 20 yrs of muscle memory, rather than spot the new limit signs hiding behind lamp posts, warning signs about a new limit at a height to read from the upper deck of double decker bus - it took me several mornings to spot them once I realized the limit had changed and looked for them.

My clue to something different was the burning off of the "30" on the road and the disappearance of the "30" sign on the posts (posts still there) where the old 40 dropped to 30. Finally spotted the new "30" limit signs at the end, and on, the 50 limit dual carriageway at the the roundabout it ends on.

Now admittedly this is the outskirts of Bradford where seemingly to most, road signs, speed limits and red traffic lights are there simply for decoration, but as someone who has a fully legal car, when they do drop a camera in place, it'll be me who gets caught by a 20 yr old memory slip.

In my newest car, cruise control is my friend once at 30 - it won't operate in the 20 limit a bit further on, so im tailgated as I brake downhill for a few miles. In my older cars, I spend more time eyeing the speedo, even with an additional GPS speed display in my line of sight (up to 80mph is obscured by the steering wheel rim in my Lancia) than down the road. These cold mornings are even worse, as even in 5th, it really wants to get up and go, nice cold dense air passing through the turbo, a slight flex of a toe, and it's off as the boost suddenly comes on. So very easy to be a few mph above the limit and be gotcha-ed.

I've been driving nearly 40 yrs, and apart from the first year or two, always driven fast cars, one speeding ticket late at night on an empty M1, a momentary slip under a camera in car capable of considerably more then double the limit, and getting there extremely quickly, so I think I'm a reasonably observant and controlled driver.

 

[MetalMonkey]

Google maps seems to do an adequate job with speed cameras, roadworks etc.
Not sure what this device adds?

I had an original Tom Tom ONE, which I really liked and used for a number of years.
However while I’m not wild keen on many aspects of google maps, its free and its easy – I’ve not felt compelled to consider a new Tom Tom or Garmin etc.

 

[Ubique]

From reading up on both, they won't 'publish' user locations until verified by a number of reports (there are cameras in both directions anyway) so rogue inputs won't skew the data. The issue with the OooNo system is that leaving the defined area before it's endpoint (in this case at 90 degrees) doesn't cancel the alert.

What the device adds is an audible and / or visual cue without having to use or look at a mapping app - the phone is just the interface between the backend and the device and you don't need to actively have it view unless you want to use their mapping and routing, I have a perfectly good navigation system integrated into the car, with a much bigger screen so they're of no use to me on the rare occasion I need route guidance.
I don't and won't use Google maps (or anything Google) due to the invasiveness, the Tomtom & OooNo mapping is also free, only the latter requires that you register - and you can use a throwaway email address with it.

 

[angellonewolf]

is there a lot of tin foil caps about the google maps ? yes im sure there is a tracking something there and possably gives you ads on your computer due to location

ive been using google maps for quite a few years with no adverse affects from my pc or phone

 

[Ubique]

I doubt there are any 'adverse affects' unless you count intrusive advertising, making profits by selling your personal data to any and every advertiser and tracking your every online and in the case of maps, real-world move to build a more complete picture of you, which is (to Google and advertisers) worth more. Google itself won't be pushing you viruses as it doesn't want to kill the fatted calf - but be very sure, you are being tracked, monitored and analysed by a private company - in much more depth than any government, the same applies to Meta (facebook etc.) by the way.
I choose to not be part of it and will 'spike' data that I have to pass on in various ways.
Sure, Amazon & Apple do similar profiling, the difference is, they keep the data to themselves - which is fair enough IMO and how I'd expect a commercial entity to behave.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I initially bought a Co-driver No.1, there is a No.2

I have the number 2 and had a similar issue a month ago, where it wouldn't stop signalling. However a day or two later, it was back to normal.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Google maps seems to do an adequate job with speed cameras, roadworks etc.
Not sure what this device adds?

It adds the ability to be able to notify other users about road hazards and mobile cash registers. For the money and having 6 points due to the aforementioned, I wouldn't drive without it. It's just a bit impractical on the 'bike, although no front number plate makes their sport a little more difficult anyway.

It is small and circular, coloured black and replaces the centre boss cap in the steering wheel, so you would have to look carefully to spot it.

 

[ajlelectronics]

My morning commuting route has recently had several limit changes. It's very easy to use 20 yrs of muscle memory, rather than spot the new limit signs hiding behind lamp posts, warning signs about a new limit at a height to read from the upper deck of double decker bus - it took me several mornings to spot them once I realized the limit had changed and looked for them.

Agreed. I am a very annoyed by the speed limit changes on the A48 near me. We now have the 50 limit which is welcome and wholly justified, but the changes have not been highlighted. All we have now is the large "derestricted" sign replaced with a tiny 50 repeater roundel and another roundel a hundred yards further on where the dual carriageway ends. I am just waiting for a MCR to show up and top up the coffers.

Grossly unfair bordering on entrapment, but it keeps the anti motorist lobby salivating I suppose.

 

[Ubique]

I have the number 2 and had a similar issue a month ago, where it wouldn't stop signalling. However a day or two later, it was back to normal.

This has been going on for over ten days... It should to my mind, behave like 'Tom' and cancel the warning when you leave the monitored area - especially at 90 degrees to it, I can understand the alert triggering on a parallel road due to having to allow for GPS (in)accuracy, but once clearly off-route, it should stop flashing.

 

[rtcosic]

My car has an 'adaptive' speed limiter option. It uses a camera to look for speed limit signs and automatically updates the speed limiter. I use it all the time as whilst it isn't 100% reliable, it is much more reliable than I am. Since moving from 40 years in a county with no speed cameras to a region infested with them, it's essential.

Getting to the point however, the system starts with data in the car's mapping and updates this with the camera data. It seems it is programmed with the minimum distance required between repeaters and reverts to NSL if no repeaters are seen.

It is illuminating to see just how many repeaters are missing!

 

[GRW]

Whatever you use, I don't think many will "huff and puff", especially those of us who use a car every day to get to work, or in their work all day.

My morning commuting route has recently had several limit changes. It's very easy to use 20 yrs of muscle memory, rather than spot the new limit signs hiding behind lamp posts, warning signs about a new limit at a height to read from the upper deck of double decker bus - it took me several mornings to spot them once I realized the limit had changed and looked for them.

My clue to something different was the burning off of the "30" on the road and the disappearance of the "30" sign on the posts (posts still there) where the old 40 dropped to 30. Finally spotted the new "30" limit signs at the end, and on, the 50 limit dual carriageway at the the roundabout it ends on.

Now admittedly this is the outskirts of Bradford where seemingly to most, road signs, speed limits and red traffic lights are there simply for decoration, but as someone who has a fully legal car, when they do drop a camera in place, it'll be me who gets caught by a 20 yr old memory slip.

In my newest car, cruise control is my friend once at 30 - it won't operate in the 20 limit a bit further on, so im tailgated as I brake downhill for a few miles. In my older cars, I spend more time eyeing the speedo, even with an additional GPS speed display in my line of sight (up to 80mph is obscured by the steering wheel rim in my Lancia) than down the road. These cold mornings are even worse, as even in 5th, it really wants to get up and go, nice cold dense air passing through the turbo, a slight flex of a toe, and it's off as the boost suddenly comes on. So very easy to be a few mph above the limit and be gotcha-ed.

I've been driving nearly 40 yrs, and apart from the first year or two, always driven fast cars, one speeding ticket late at night on an empty M1, a momentary slip under a camera in car capable of considerably more then double the limit, and getting there extremely quickly, so I think I'm a reasonably observant and controlled driver.

Come to Wales. Its now designed to be one massive speed trap.
Not far from me is one village on a main arterial trunk road between 2 main conurbations.

In the mile or so between it & the previous village the limit changes from 20-30-40-50.

To then pass through the village in question (which has no shops, schools, old folks homes, parks, playgrounds, doctors etc & consequently virtually zero foot traffic) you have over about 1.5 miles.....
50-40-30-20-30-20-30-40- back to 50 (the entire arterial road between Carmarthen & Lampeter has no section above 50mph).

Yup, NINE changes of posted limit, on a Main Through Route - in a mile and a bit. Over the 20-odd mile distance if they were added up, I'd be unsurprised if the amount of times the posted limit changed - wasn't heading towards 3-figures.

 

[MetalMonkey]

It adds the ability to be able to notify other users about road hazards and mobile cash registers.

So does google maps though?

 

[ajlelectronics]

So does google maps though?

Not by a simple button press without looking and scrolling through options.