NAVTEQ Traffic.com Offers Labor Day Weekend Drivers Advice

CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, offers tools and tips to help drivers stay safe and avoid the worst of traffic during the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

As summer's last big holiday weekend, Labor Day ranks as one of the busiest and most dangerous weekends to be on American roads according to the National Safety Council, which cites a 15.7% increase in traffic fatalities during Labor Day 2010 vs. non-holiday weekends of the same duration*. Considered a 3.25-day holiday, Labor Day's heavy drive times typically extend from 6 pm Friday through 11:59 pm Monday, with particularly heavy traffic surges on Friday and Monday evenings.  

So how to stay safe and avoid the worst of it? Consider:

1. Shifting your weekend—Instead of fighting the heavy traffic on Friday evening rush hour and Monday evening, take a day off and shift your trip a day in either direction. You may even get a lower rate one night on your hotel room.
2. Going earlier or later—If you can't move your trip a day, think about staying in town for dinner and heading out afterwards or heading out early morning and catching breakfast on the road.
3. Staying closer to home—Wait until after the crowds leave to explore your hometown's attractions and parks or those of nearby cities.
4. Getting the most up-to-date reports on what's happening on the highways before you drive and while en route by checking www.traffic.com. If you hit a problem on the road:
   • Visit http://mobi.traffic.com on your web-enabled mobile phone or device: the site is free, and the content can be invaluable.
   • Save 1-866-MY-TRAFC (1-866-698-7232) to your phone's favorites list before leaving home. This free hotline provides speed dial access to up-to-the-moment traffic reports to help you avoid heavy traffic, construction, and accidents on your long weekend trip.
   • Send a SMS text message to get real-time traffic information for city hotspots. Simply text your CITY CODE, (NY, CHIC, PHL, LA, etc.) to TRAFC (87232). City codes can be found at http://bhelp.traffic.com/city-codes-used-for-sms for getting instant traffic information.

* Source: National Safety Council. Labor Day Holiday Period Traffic Fatality Estimate 2010; not based on traffic volume. Available at: http://www.nsc.org/Documents/LaborDay2010.pdf  

** Source: National Safety Council. Independence Day Holiday Period Traffic Fatality Estimate, 2011. Available at: http://www.nsc.org/Documents/IndDay2011.pdf

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of location content in the form of maps, traffic and places data that enables navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world. NAVTEQ supplies precise, comprehensive location content to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 5,600 employees located in 213 offices in 50 countries.

For more information on NAVTEQ, please visit http://corporate.navteq.com . This NAVTEQ press release and other news is available at http://press.navteq.com. Join NAVTEQ on Facebook at facebook.com/NAVTEQCompany and Twitter at @NAVTEQ.

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