Google Maps' secret formula: How does it tell in just a second how long the journey will take?

Google Maps has made travel much easier. Nowadays, it has many such advanced features that you can know with a single click, where the shopping mall or petrol pump is near you. Not only this, in the map, you also get to know with a single click how much time it is going to take you to reach a place, but have you ever wondered how Google Maps calculates this time of your journey with such accuracy? So let's

First, it measures the distance.

First of all, Google Maps has a special database called Geographical Information System, i.e., GIS. Inside this, the data of Longitude, Latitude, and Elevation of every point of the road network is already stored. After this, the software algorithm tries the routes going in the right direction from the starting point and selects the fastest route to reach the destination. In this process, the distance is determined by combining all the data.

Checks the speed limit

After checking the distance to the destination, Google also uses the speed limit, road name, destination, and traffic information present in the GIS data to calculate the time. After which it makes a basic estimate of time according to each road. Apart from this, Google also uses some old data, such as at what time a user traveled and at what speed on that road.

Real-time user and road condition

After checking data like distance and speed limit, Google uses real-time data as well as user feedback to make the basic time more accurate. Let us tell you that in 2009, Google started relying on the location data of users instead of cameras and sensors. That is, if a user traveled slowly or stopped at a place, Google considered it as traffic.

However, after this, in the year 2013, Google bought Waze, which also took reports of traffic, accidents, road block, police check, and speed camera from the users. Using all this data, Google calculates the journey time. Apart from this, Google sometimes works with telecom companies to measure distance through mobile towers.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.