Speed limit in canada

 
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Garmin says

Where is the speed limit indicator available?

Answer:
The speed limit feature provides a visual indicator of the speed limit for a particular road on the map of the device

This feature is available on most major roads in the following areas:

Europe
United States
Australia
Middle East
Southern Africa
Greece
Turkey
* Please note this feature is not available in Canada at this time.

Last modified on: 08/31/2010

So it's Navteq's shortcoming...

I've contacted Navteq, who provides Garmin's map data, with the same question and asked if it could be included in future updates.

This still smells like another case of Canadians not getting the full service (just the full price), but we'll see what their answer is.

--
The Losst Follower

.

Aardvark wrote:

As I posted in another thread on this subject, I was in Mississauga back in August and the Garmin appeared to be aware of speed limits even though it did not display them. It was able to calculate rather accurately ETA's, which requires knowledge of the speed limit. Driving faster than the posted speed on the QEW caused the ETA to change. Either Garmin just has a rough average speed entered or they have the information in the maps but just choose not to/cannot display it.

The device has a small table for each classification of road type - each classification starts out with a default speed and is updated as the unit 'learns' how you drive. The simple fact is that when averaged out over all of the kilometers one travels it IS fairly accurate. But they do not have the specific speed limits for road segmentsa here in Canada the way they do for other jurisdictions.

If anyone saw a speed limit icon in Canada, I can assure them that the unit believed it was somewhere else.

--
Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T

It's probably not a big deal

It's probably not a big deal (or not something to cry for) if Navteq/Garmin do not have speed limit data for Canada. It could just give them an excuse to make the prices in Canada higher if the data was there.

Actually, my personal preference is not to have the speed limits displayed on GPS screen. That white square just wastes screen space. And the data will just take more storage space on my GPS. While I'm driving I will make observations of the road conditions, including the speed limits.

And Your GPS Must Support Speed Limits

Fluxuated wrote:
rodeophoto wrote:

There's a speed limit icon????? I've never seen it. Yes, I'm in Canada

That's why you've never seen it. Cross the border, and you'll see it constantly.

I've got a nuvi 660 and it doesn't display speed limits - whether I'm in Canada or the US. I suppose the 660 is too old for that functionality.

.

DanielT wrote:

I've got a nuvi 660 and it doesn't display speed limits - whether I'm in Canada or the US. I suppose the 660 is too old for that functionality.

The 660 isn't 'too old'. It simply wasn't a feature included in the model. You had to pay extra and buy a 700 series to get it.

--
Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T

Spoke to someone at Navteq

I didn't think they'd call back, but they did. I forget her name, but one of the Navteq girls from the USA had a lovely phone conversation with me. And I got the skinny (or at least a convincing opinion) on Canadian speed limits. I did notes in point form, so I'll go over them here.

The metric thing isn't a problem. Navteq and Garmin are global companies, and most of their data (pretty much everywhere but the USA) is done in metric. All GPS units can convert between miles and km's in a microsecond.

US speed limits, while administered by each state, are provided to Navteq by the ICC and a few other approved sources. The data is verified as accurate and uploaded to Navteq regularly. While that same data exists on several government databases in Canada (provincial governments), they won't share it with Navteq.

Because the Canadian authorities won't validate speed limit data (every department says it's someone else's job to do that), companies like Navteq and Garmin don't post speed icons on the screen. Even though there's a disclaimer on the startup screen saying drivers are still responsible for their actions at all times, they don't want to get into any disputes over their screens vs. actual posted limits. With unverified speed limit data, it's just too risky.

Garmin factors "known" speed limits into their calculations with arrival times, because it's not hard to figure out what the limits are on each road, but they don't put icons on the screen because that would imply that the information is officially verified.

That could just be a made-up excuse, but I doubt it. Anyone who's ever tried to get a straight answer out of a Canadian government office will completely understand that explanation!

--
The Losst Follower

LOL!

Obi-Wan Knievel wrote:

Anyone who's ever tried to get a straight answer out of a Canadian government office will completely understand that explanation!

Accepted answer.

--
nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK

Thanks Obi-Wan Knievel

Thanks Obi-Wan Knievel. I guess we need to pressure our MPs and MLAs to give out the data to NavTeq. Gotta do our civic duties - we own that data - let's get it public!

Cheers,
Danny

SPEED LIMIT DATA ADDED FOR CANADA ON NAVTEQ MAP REPORTER

I just went and looked on Navteq's Map Reporter site and found that speed limit data has been added on major highways in the Ontario area. The way you can view this on map reporter is you have to right click on a major road section (like a section of highway 61 in Thunder Bay for example), and then click "edit details of road segment." From there you click on "House numbers and Speed Limits," and sure enough when you do that, you will see that there is speed limit data. I just checked this one area, but I'm sure that if they added this info for the Ontario area that they have added it everywhere else in Canada. That means in a few map updates, Garmin users in Canada will have speed limit information (for very major roads only).

--
Garmin Nuvi 3490lmt, 765t with Lifetime maps and Clear Channel traffic

Manpower

Don't forget that Canada has more land mass than the US and only 1/10th of the the population.

I'm sure we don't have as many miles of highways, but I also think it's a fair bet that the ratio is disproportionate to the population. In other words, the US has 4 million miles of paved roads, and I would guess that Canada has a million. Population alone would suggest it should be 400,000.

Unfortunately, we likely don't have the manpower to justify putting this data into the map data.

--
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)

.

All that data should be available already by the various levels of Gov I would think.

--
nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK

I Don't Think Canada's Laws are Heavy Handed

Obi-Wan Knievel wrote:

I e-mailed Garmin support (thanks to this very forum) on the weekend, and here is their response...

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International. We would be happy to answer your question. Unfortunately, this information is not available in most of Canada. I have seen it come up a few times in Toronto, but this was only once or twice and that was on the 2010.10 mapping. We do apologize for the inconvienence.

With Best Regards,

Lorraine H
Product Support Specialist
Automotive Team
Garmin International"

Looks a bit to me like the information provided depends heavily on which CSR is providing it.

On the other hand, it could have something to do with Canada's heavy-handed traffic laws. But I kind of doubt that, since it's dangerously close to a conspiracy theory!

In the US, there are many places where the speed limit is enforced very strictly. Try driving through Summersville, WV 1 MPH above the 50 MPH limit.

I used to drive 30,000 miles a year on business, plus another 15,000 personal. I routinely drove at 120KPH (75 MPH) in a 100 KPH (62 MPH) zone and have never been pulled over, as long as I was driving in a steady and reasonable fashion and the road conditions allowed it.

Same went in 80 KPH (50 MPH) zones. Routinely drove at 90-100 KPH (55-62 MPH) and again, never pulled over.

Police in Canada (at least in Ontario) have always proved to me to be very reasonable. On the other hand, don't get caught without a seatbelt, a child not properly restrained, speeding in a construction zone or talking while holding a phone.

All of those things are just plain stupid and Canada does tend to get testy about stupid drivers.

--
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)

I Don't Think Canada's Laws are Heavy Handed

Obi-Wan Knievel wrote:

I e-mailed Garmin support (thanks to this very forum) on the weekend, and here is their response...

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International. We would be happy to answer your question. Unfortunately, this information is not available in most of Canada. I have seen it come up a few times in Toronto, but this was only once or twice and that was on the 2010.10 mapping. We do apologize for the inconvienence.

With Best Regards,

Lorraine H
Product Support Specialist
Automotive Team
Garmin International"

Looks a bit to me like the information provided depends heavily on which CSR is providing it.

On the other hand, it could have something to do with Canada's heavy-handed traffic laws. But I kind of doubt that, since it's dangerously close to a conspiracy theory!

In the US, there are many places where the speed limit is enforced very strictly. Try driving through Summersville, WV 1 MPH above the 50 MPH limit.

I used to drive 30,000 miles a year on business, plus another 15,000 personal. I routinely drove at 120KPH (75 MPH) in a 100 KPH (62 MPH) zone and have never been pulled over, as long as I was driving in a steady and reasonable fashion and the road conditions allowed it.

Same went in 80 KPH (50 MPH) zones. Routinely drove at 90-100 KPH (55-62 MPH) and again, never pulled over.

Police in Canada (at least in Ontario) have always proved to me to be very reasonable. On the other hand, don't get caught without a seatbelt, a child not properly restrained, speeding in a construction zone or talking while holding a phone.

All of those things are just plain stupid and Canada does tend to get testy about stupid drivers.

--
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)

I Don't Think Canada's Laws are Heavy Handed

Obi-Wan Knievel wrote:

I e-mailed Garmin support (thanks to this very forum) on the weekend, and here is their response...

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International. We would be happy to answer your question. Unfortunately, this information is not available in most of Canada. I have seen it come up a few times in Toronto, but this was only once or twice and that was on the 2010.10 mapping. We do apologize for the inconvienence.

With Best Regards,

Lorraine H
Product Support Specialist
Automotive Team
Garmin International"

Looks a bit to me like the information provided depends heavily on which CSR is providing it.

On the other hand, it could have something to do with Canada's heavy-handed traffic laws. But I kind of doubt that, since it's dangerously close to a conspiracy theory!

In the US, there are many places where the speed limit is enforced very strictly. Try driving through Summersville, WV 1 MPH above the 50 MPH limit.

I used to drive 30,000 miles a year on business, plus another 15,000 personal. I routinely drove at 120KPH (75 MPH) in a 100 KPH (62 MPH) zone and have never been pulled over, as long as I was driving in a steady and reasonable fashion and the road conditions allowed it.

Same went in 80 KPH (50 MPH) zones. Routinely drove at 90-100 KPH (55-62 MPH) and again, never pulled over.

Police in Canada (at least in Ontario) have always proved to me to be very reasonable. On the other hand, don't get caught without a seatbelt, a child not properly restrained, speeding in a construction zone or talking while holding a phone.

All of those things are just plain stupid and Canada does tend to get testy about stupid drivers.

--
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)

Driving While Holding a Cell Phone

[quote=

Police in Canada (at least in Ontario) have always proved to me to be very reasonable. On the other hand, don't get caught without a seat belt, a child not properly restrained, speeding in a construction zone or talking while holding a phone.

All of those things are just plain stupid and Canada does tend to get testy about stupid drivers.

On Long Island, New York, it seems like half of the people are holding cell phones to their ears while driving.

The state could balance it's budget overnight if it ticketed every driver holding a cell phone while driving.

Summersville, WV is #1

davidkbrown wrote:

In the US, there are many places where the speed limit is enforced very strictly. Try driving through Summersville, WV 1 MPH above the 50 MPH limit.

Most places I drive they are usually pretty reasonable. When driving through Summersville you had better be below the speed limit or they will nail you. In the last 10 years I've only driven through that short stretch of Rt 19 once where there wasn't multiple people pulled over. I'ver heard rumor it is the #1 ticket spot in the US! They watch you like a hawk, from town limit to town limit, waiting for anything they can interpret as a violation and pull you over. It is the towns main source of money and they make no bones about it. There is a newly developed stretch of Rt 19 about 5 or 10 miles south of there that is starting to do the same thing.

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Harley BOOM GTS, Zumo 665, (2) Nuvi 765Ts, 1450LMT, 1350LM & others | 2019 Harley Ultra Limited Shrine - Peace Officer Dark Blue

Some Canadian Data Starting with 2012.10 Update

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Nüvi 2595LMT

speed limit?

When did Canada post speed limits? Last time I was there limits were not posted on highways, lets see that was abt 1957?

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Zumo 550 on a 2014 Indian Chiefain, Garmin RV660
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