1. Introduction
CP24 Traffic Alert is an iPhone, Android and BlackBerry app that gives you personalized real-time traffic while you drive. Traffic information is delivered by voice so that you don’t have to look at or touch your phone while driving.
Running CP24 Traffic Alert while driving, you will hear voice alerts like, “400 Northbound: very slow traffic between Major MacKenzie and King. User reported 2 right lanes blocked at King.” CP24 Traffic Alert gives you the real-time information you need to understand what is happening ahead of you and take an alternate route if necessary.
When used in a moving vehicle, CP24 Traffic Alert is checking the road ahead of you for traffic issues. You can also record your regular routes (e.g. home to work, home to cottage, etc.) and then check the traffic on these exact routes before you leave the next time.
Each user helps to make CP24 Traffic Alert’s speed and incident information accurate by passively and anonymously providing their travel speed and by actively reporting traffic issues using the Call to Report button. Thousands of users run CP24 Traffic Alert every day. The more users who run CP24 Traffic Alert while driving, the better and more accurate the traffic information. Join the CP24 Traffic Alert community today.
2. Downloading
Download CP24 Traffic Alert from your phone’s app store.
3. Starting CP24 Traffic Alert
3.1.Permissions
After downloading and when first launching CP24 Traffic Alert, you will be asked for permission to use your location (to anonymously gather traffic speed) and on Android, for permission to access your phone function (to call our traffic reporting centre).
3.2.Tutorial Video
The first 2 times opening the app you will be asked to view the tutorial video. You can dismiss this message and view the video later here.
3.3.Register Email
CP24 Traffic Alert will ask you to register your email. This is optional but will allow you easier management of your routes and other features, and will enable us to email you with critical traffic incidents and updates on new features. If you do not wish to register, click “Later”. If you register and wish to update your email address with CP24 Traffic Alert, you can do so within the settings menu.
3.4. Push Notifications
CP24 Traffic Alert will ask if you wish to allow Notifications. These are critical alerts of major local traffic incidents that will be served up through the iPhone and Android notification system even when CP24 Traffic Alert is not running. You can turn these on or off in the settings menu.
3.5. Safety
CP24 Traffic Alert is designed for use while driving. We have made every effort to make the app intuitive and useful without having to touch or look at the phone. Please start and set up CP24 Traffic Alert only while parked. Do not hold, look at or interact with the phone while driving. Safe vehicle operation is the driver’s responsibility. Details of Ontario’s distracted driving rules can be found here.
3.6. Audio Volume
Please set the volume of your phone to a level that you can comfortably hear the audio traffic alerts as they are played. If you cannot hear any audio alerts when you see the visual alert screen displayed, please ensure that your phone volume is turned up and not muted and that any connected Bluetooth A2DP device volume is turned up.
3.7. Advertising
CP24 Traffic Alert is free to download and use, but like TV, radio, magazines and other media, it is ad supported. The app and alerts are sponsored by advertisers, and we strive to balance the need to give users a pleasant and informative experience using the app, while giving sponsors advertising time.
4. Alerts
Once you have launched CP24 Traffic Alert and start driving, you will hear and see an alert for the road you are on. This will be a green (normal traffic), orange (slow traffic) or red (very slow traffic) alert. With the orange and red alerts, you will hear the affected road segment, average speed and specific incident causing the slow traffic, if available. You will receive a new alert for each road you turn onto.
CP24 Traffic Alert relies in part on the contribution of users so if the alert is wrong or you are able to add more detail about an incident, please press the Call to Report button and advise our traffic reporting centre.
5. Map View
The CP24 Traffic Alert map view can be used for a quick look at major highway traffic, to view your routes and to report traffic. The map view is also where you can access the settings, route management and help menus. You can pan, zoom in and out of the map and re-centre the view on your current location.
5.1. Highway and Route Traffic
Real-time traffic speed on the highway and on your route are shown as green (normal – 90% or more of speed limit), orange (slow – 60% to 90% of speed limit) and red (very slow – less than 60% of speed limit). Highway traffic can be turned on or off by touching the Hwy Traffic button.
5.2. Centre View
The button in the bottom left of the map view is the centering button. If you pan the map by dragging your finger around the map screen, you can then re-centre the view on your current location by pressing the centre view button.
5.3. Routes
The My Routes and Record buttons are further explained below. The name of any active route is displayed at the top of the map view.
5.4. Call to Report
CP24 Traffic Alert users can contribute to the quality of traffic information and help other users by calling to report any traffic incidents or problems with the app. By pressing the Call to Report button, your phone will automatically dial a toll-free number to our traffic reporting centre. You can leave a voicemail message with the name and direction of the street, the nearest intersection and affected section of road, and the nature of the incident. Our operators will immediately pick up the message and add the report into the system, thereby helping other users behind you.
Although CP24 Traffic Alert uses traffic incident information from other sources, reports called in by users are often the most accurate and timely sources of information, so please help others by calling in.
6. Routes
6.1. Community Favourites
CP24 Traffic Alert provides utility from the first use by telling users of traffic and incidents on the road 5 KM ahead on city streets and 20 KM ahead on highways. You can also use preset community favourite routes to check traffic on popular roads. Select My Routes in the map view and scroll down to Community Favourites.
6.2. Recorded Routes
Users can get even greater value from the app by recording their standard daily routes or even alternate routes to the same destination. These users can then view traffic on their recorded routes before getting on the road. If alternate routes have been recorded, users can compare the traffic on each one. Go to the My Routes menu and touch the route you wish to activate and view.
6.3. Record a Route
To record a route press the Record button at the bottom of the map view before you start your drive. In addition, Android and BlackBerry versions of CP24 Traffic Alert will ask if you wish to save the route you have just driven when you go to close the app. If you select yes, you will be asked to enter a name. We recommend using a standard term for common origins and destinations, e.g. Home to Work, Home to Cottage, etc. as the My Routes list is sorted alphabetically.
6.4. Manage My Routes
If you wish to rename or delete your recorded routes, go to the My Routes menu and select Edit in iPhone or in Android, touch and hold the name of the route you wish to edit.
7. Eco Mode
CP24 Traffic Alert consumes battery power and cellular data while running. To save on both battery and data consumption, CP24 Traffic Alert is set by default to go into Eco Mode after a short time. The screen will be black and will show the message “CP24 Traffic Alert Eco mode running. Touch screen to return to map view.” You will continue to receive alerts, but Eco mode will resume after the alert. Simply touch the screen to return to the map view. We recommend that you use a car charger for your phone while running CP24 Traffic Alert.
8. Settings
8.1. Eco Mode
Eco mode can be turned on and off
8.2. Notifications
In Android notifications can be turned on or off from the settings menu. In iPhone notifications must be turned on or off in the main iPhone settings menu under the Notifications menu.
8.3. Bluetooth
Alerts should automatically play through connected Bluetooth A2DP compatible car audio systems and headsets. Music and podcasts playing on the default music player will be paused during the playing of an alert.
8.4. Update Email
Users can enter or change their email address.
8.5. Tell a Friend
Users can send an email to their contacts to let them know about CP24 Traffic Alert.
8.6. Contact Us
Users can send an email to the CP24 Traffic Alert team to report an issue with the app or ask for assistance with features.
