Kakao Navi to offer detour routes around congested roads before departure

[Financial News] Kakao Mobility Corp. is overhauling Kakao Navi to provide advance information ranging from traffic conditions before departure to when to change lanes while driving. The revamp goes beyond conventional route guidance, proactively providing the causes of congestion and the appropriate lanes for entering and exiting, with a focus on helping drivers choose routes and making their journeys more convenient. The strategy uses vast amounts of real-time driving data to improve navigation accuracy and strengthen the competitiveness of its navigation service.
According to industry sources on the 11th, Kakao Mobility Corp. revamped Kakao Navi’s home and driving screens and enhanced its “Proactive Traffic Guidance” feature.
When users open the app, they can check traffic conditions on their commute without separately searching for a route. On weekday mornings, it automatically displays traffic conditions for the commute to work, and in the evenings, for the trip home, at the top of the home screen. If the estimated travel time is at least five minutes longer than usual, it summarizes the causes of congestion, including the delay and sections where accidents have occurred.
Users can now check live CCTV footage of congested areas, estimated delays and the causes of congestion from the route-search stage. Previously, detailed information was available only after entering a congested area, but users can now choose a detour before setting out or check traffic conditions while driving.
Lane guidance at complex interchanges has also been enhanced. If congestion occurs from 2 km before an interchange where a driver will exit, the app recommends moving into the right lane in advance. If only the preceding interchange is congested while the actual exit section is clear, it separately indicates the appropriate time to change lanes.
On stretches where successive forks appear within 500 m, the app displays the name of the road to enter and the direction on the route line, and numbers the order in which to take them. If drivers need to take a later fork, a warning appears at the earlier one to reduce the chance of straying from the route.
The revamp drew on driving data from the shared navigation engine used in Kakao Navi, vehicle route search on Kakao Map, external platforms and in-vehicle infotainment systems. The company said it incorporates real-world driving data from not only general users but also hundreds of thousands of professional drivers, including taxi and designated-driver service operators, to improve the accuracy of real-time route predictions and estimated arrival times.
A Kakao Mobility Corp. representative said, “Kakao Navi is a core pillar of mobility that goes beyond simply looking up route guidance information and leads to actual business, such as ride-hailing and payments, within the Kakao T ecosystem,” adding, “We will maximize the proactiveness and intuitiveness of our route guidance and establish Kakao Navi as the most trusted guide for both drivers and business partners.”

[email protected] Jang Min-kwon Reporter