BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The automobile is an important transportation tool in modern society. As the number of automobiles in operation has increased, traffic has become a significant issue that routinely affects people's schedules, travels, and travel plans. For example, people commuting to and from the workplace frequently experience delays due to traffic congestion and/or automobile collisions. It is not uncommon for such delays to be lengthy and to waste significant resources.

Consequently, traffic reports and other distributions of traffic-related information have become commonplace in many locations. For example, certain radio stations incorporate periodic traffic reports into their programming. Such traffic reports typically involve one or more reporters describing traffic conditions as they see them or are based on second-hand information. However, traffic reports broadcast over the radio are often of a generic nature and may not cover traffic conditions affecting routes traveled by certain people. Moreover, a person must typically listen to other programming provided by a radio station while waiting for a traffic report to be broadcast.

Traffic information is also distributed over the Internet. However, the usefulness and accuracy of such traffic information may be limited and/or questionable. For example, such traffic information is typically delayed in time and may not accurately represent current traffic conditions.

