Geolocation specialist TomTom is collaborating with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management to provide traffic services with more extensive and effective safety warnings to Dutch drivers.

Through a three-year-long cooperation with the Dutch Ministry and ANWB, Be-Mobile, Inrix, Hyundai and Kia, Dutch drivers that rely on TomTom traffic services will soon benefit from improved safety features.

TomTom’s data are combined with data from the national road traffic database (Nationaal Dataportaal Wegverkeer, or NDW). As such, they will provide an even more complete picture of traffic obstacles, slow-moving traffic and incidents such as road works, road closures and restrictions. The quality of the data is continuously monitored, ensuring they are up to date. When sharing and combining data, the privacy of drivers is said to be guaranteed.

With these improved features, which will be made available to all users of TomTom’s traffic services, Dutch drivers will know exactly what is up ahead and travel more safely and comfortably. Importantly, drivers won’t have to perform any actions to receive the features. The in-car alerts will meet criteria agreed upon by the government ensuring they will not unduly distract drivers.

With the Safety Priority Services initiative, the Netherlands is anticipating European legislation that will come into force in 2025. In addition to notifications on nearby traffic, drivers will receive information to increase road safety, such as applicable speed limits. In the longer term, it will also be investigated whether the service can help increase awareness to avoid unsafe situations in areas such as school zones.

“Road safety has always been a priority for TomTom,” said Mike Schoofs, managing director of TomTom Enterprise. “This partnership will help make driving even safer. We are proud to be working on this initiative with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management to improve road safety.”

Infrastructure and water management minister Mark Harbers added: “By now, 98 per cent of motorists use digital information while driving. In addition, pilots and projects have shown that warning drivers en route has a positive effect on road safety. I am keen to capitalise on these developments, not least because drivers of cars and lorries, for example, have indicated that they value these warnings and are increasingly relying on them.”