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TomTom Drivers Can Smoothly Navigate National Parks This Summer

Data from GPS users offers insight for more enjoyable driving within National Parks across the United States

CONCORD, Mass. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 26, 2010 — With tourists making hundreds of millions of visits to National Parks in the United Stares each year, a new study by location and navigation solutions leader TomTom offers valuable insight on the traffic within these key summer destinations.

The latest TomTom study revealed average speeds of vehicles travelling through National Parks, based on anonymous user-shared data from park visitors using TomTom navigation devices. The findings indicate that the National Parks are not as congested as they are often depicted. While almost all national parks experience some type of congestion, few had regularly occurring traffic jams, with some traffic congestion occurring at entrances and major tourist areas. Of the nearly 8,200 total miles of navigable roads within the National Parks, only about 0.1% of all roadways experienced any regularly occurring traffic within the park. This is further evidenced by the total average driving speed within all the parks generally differed by no more than 10 miles per hour (MPH).

These results were calculated using data from Speed Profiles™, TomTom’s historical speed database that helps personal and professional fleet drivers find the best routes. Speed Profiles aggregates, anonymously and on an opt in basis, the actual speeds that millions of GPS-enabled drivers have traveled over the last two years, providing the most accurate view of historical traffic on both primary and secondary roads. It is incorporated on TomTom GPS devices as IQ Routes™ to guide drivers away from congestion – not only on major highways, but also on all routes in the road network.

Traffic jams were defined as situations in which drivers could travel at only 70% or less of the posted speed limit, meaning on average an hour long trip included 20 minutes or more of significant delays.

Additional key findings regarding congestion in the National Parks include:

Vacationers seeking to quickly travel through a park may be more interested in those with higher-average roadway speeds. The top ten parks with the highest average speeds include three of the top 10 most visited National Parks, but also indicate that travelers can explore less-traveled parks with more free-flowing driving throughout the park. The top five parks that offer the highest average speeds include:

Additionally, for those seeking to explore more acreage of the parks in their vehicles, parks with more navigable roadways may be an ideal destination. According to Tele Atlas maps, the top five in this category include two of the most visited parks:

“With Memorial Day kicking off a season when many motorists visit National Parks, knowing which parks have less congestion or which have more roadways to travel on can help vacationers better enjoy their experience,” said Nhai Cao, product manager at TomTom. “This wealth of driving information has never been available before, and reinforces the fact that, overall, visiting America’s National Parks is a truly enjoyable experience.”

Tele Atlas maps of the United States are available on TomTom devices, in the TomTom app for iPhone and in a range of navigation devices and applications. Tele Atlas maps are rated highest in terms of quality and reliability and include a full range of points of interest (POIs). Of particular interest to drivers exploring the National Parks, Tele Atlas POIs include more than 88,000 campgrounds, parks and recreation areas, tourist information offices and notable tourist attractions such as beaches, fairgrounds, ski resorts, golf courses, monuments and museums. With millions of POIs in the United States available for TomTom users, drivers also can locate nearby gas stations, restaurants, hotels and more along their journey.

To see road speed information and mileage for the top 10 most visited parks and lists of which parks have the highest and lowest average speeds, or for more information, please visit  www.teleatlaspresskit.com.

*According to National Park Service.

About TomTom N.V.

TomTom N.V. (AEX: TOM2) is the world’s leading provider of location and navigation solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands it employs over 3000 employees worldwide. More than 40 million people daily use its solutions, be it in the form of dedicated portable navigation devices (PNDs), in- dash car systems or tracking and tracing solutions for fleet management. In addition, hundreds of millions of people use TomTom’s digital maps on the internet or mobile phone.

In 2009, TomTom reported €1.5 billion in revenues and a €340 million net cash flow from operating activities. More information about TomTom can be found on www.TomTom.com.



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TomTom N.V.
Erin Delaney, 978-405-1806
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