How do you view Mile Makers?

[duyaknow]

While on a road trip and upon hearing of a accedent ahead, I called the georgia state patrol and they told me that the accident had happened at a certain mile marker. They also indicated that traffic was backed up for 10 miles. They did not know near what city. How could I search and then view mile markers to plan my route around the interstate accident? Thanks for your help.

[Ken in Regina]

I don't think there is any magic to be had with the iQue and mileage markers. Perhaps someone else knows of something that I haven't discovered yet. I would simply use rude crude brute force...

The way I would use the information the state troopers gave you would be to look for the next two mileage markers on the highway. The first will tell me what mile I'm at compared to the accident. The next would tell me whether the markers are going up or down in relation to the direction I'm travelling (am I going toward or away from the city they are referenced to).

I could also figure out the second bit from a combination of the first marker and knowing for certain that the accident is ahead.

The fact that the traffic is backed up ten miles is also useful input. (If I'm not already into the backed up traffic, I must still be more than ten miles away.)

Using that information in conjunction with knowing your present location from the iQue, you should be able to get a rough fix on where the accident is on the iQue map and see where the alternate routes are. Eg. are there intersections/exits between you and the approximate location of the accident or do you need to find a turn-around and go back aways.

I would not waste any time asking the iQue to re-route me. I would simply use the information to plan an alternate route, visually, and then as I follow that alternate route, look at the iQue occasionally (or have my navigator do so, if I have one) to make sure I'm not getting lost.

[duyaknow]

Thanks ken for your input.

Here is additional information that leads to the question.

1) you are on the road and know that the accident is ahead at a certain mile marker.

2) you are using your IQUE and visibily you know what mile maker you are at currently. So far I cannot see that the IQUE has that information visiable.

3) Say there is 50 miles from your current position ( via mile marker) that the accidents is and you do not know the town corresponding to the mile marker ( IQUE shows towns).

4) looking at the IQUE, you cannot determine exactly 50 miles ahead ( unless the road is perfectly straight ). The measuring tool and waypoint distance in the ique is "as the crow files" and not based on distance on road route.

5) so not knowing how far 50 miles is ahead and not knowing the city near the accident, it is very difficult to guage the exits aheads that intersect with the road(s) that would allow you the driver to bypass the section of blocked road ahead with any certainty.

My father and I did this very exact excerise during the Christmas trip.

We used 1) his knowledge of the roads and back roads, 2) My IQUE, 3) a rand mcnally atlas, and some good math to get us around the 5 hour backup.

If we had the mile markers visiable, we could easily determine the number and position of interstate intersections that intersect with alternate routes that are between our current position and the accident. This knowledge would provide us with the information to choose our alternative route(s).

[Ken in Regina]

I think you are looking for way too much precision in this exercise.

It's called dead reckoning. If you have 50 road miles to play with between you and the accident site - nearly 40 before you hit the backed up traffic - you already have as much information as you need to get started looking for a bypass route by brute force.

It seems to me we are dealing with a really simple problem: "Gotta find some way off this road in the next 30 or 35 miles."

I just start looking for the next exit or pullout so I can safely stop and look at my resources. iQue's maps should be sufficient, but a road atlas is much easier to see, so that's an extra plus.

Now that I know where I am and roughly where the accident is I just look on the map for the nearest parallel road that will get me well past the accident location, and that's not likely to also be too snarled up from other folks trying to bypass the trouble. Then I look for the next intersecting roads that will get me over to the parallel road(s) that will be my bypass route. Mile markers are of no use in this exercise. You just need an exit number and/or road number to watch for.

The iQue has all the road/highway numbers and most exit numbers. You can get them by simply pointing at the exit or road and the iQue will display them. For example, if you press the stylus right on the intersection of two roads, the iQue will display the numbers of both roads.

If the road number that the iQue usually displays on all roads is off the current display, you can still display the road number of any road that looks like a candidate by pressing the stylus somewhere on that road.

If you press the stylus on what appears to be an exit, the iQue will display the exit number if it has one.

Finally, Now that I know the parallel road(s) I'm going to use and the next couple or three intersecting roads to get me over to it (in case I miss the first one or two), I can look for the intersecting roads that look like they will be well past the snarl-up to get me back on the original road.

I'm not sure what else you need in order for this to work well. Am I still overlooking something?

Or are you just trying to see how close you can get to the accident snarl without getting caught in it before you get off and how close to it you can get back on the original road without hitting the snarl on the other side? If so, you're on your own. I don't like to cut things that close. I get off at the first clear opportunity and don't try to get back on until I'm confident I'm way past any possible trouble.

If I've got at least 35-40 miles to play with before I hit the tail end of the traffic snarl, now that I know that fact I don't need the iQue any more. Well, I don't need the GPS. I just need the map, or any service station road map, and my two eyes. As long as there are any exits or intersections between me and the snarl-up, and parallel roads that will ultimately get me past the trouble, I'm in business.

EDIT: I should make it clear that what I've just written isn't theory. It's the method I've used to bypass trouble, or simply to find a more interesting route, for years before I ever got the iQue.

I've used it a number of times since I got the iQue. The iQue just makes the same process easier because I can always see where I am in relation to where I want to be. That makes visual navigation almost trivial through areas without good road markings. You can see immediately if you get off the chosen route and the path to get back to it is usually quite obvious.

Also, I apologize if the tone of this sounds harsh. It's not intended to be. Without voice inflection, I always find it hard to write descriptions like this so they don't sound critical. My failing.

[Curious Cat]

Since you have already determined the distance to the problem area to be say 50 miles, why not just use the odometer, the iQue's or the car's, to determine when you have gone about 40 miles and then have it plot a "detour" for the next 15 miles. You could also use the legend (scale) on the map to approximate what exit would be closest but I wouldn't want to do that without pulling over first.

[Ken in Regina]

By the way, there is a rough and ready way to get a better approximation of the accident location than just ballparking it visually, if more precision matters.

Pick a spot that looks about right and then ask the iQue to route you to it. That will give you the exact road distance. If you are off by more than your prefered tolerance, pick another spot that will now be a better guess and get the iQue to route again. Two, or at most three, route calculations should have the location pinpointed to any reasonable degree of accuracy you could want.

The reason I say three calculations at the most is that if the first guess is, say, too close to you, make the second guess intentionally too far by roughly the same amount, eg. move farther up the road by roughly double the distance you think you need to for the next calculation. Based on those two points, the third guess should be very nearly dead on.

[apersson850]

And if you do this when still moving, it will confuse you a bit more! :D

[sgt_al]

Originally posted by apersson850
And if you do this when still moving, it will confuse you a bit more! :D

Another way in Georgia is to to know what Exit you are by when on Interstate roads (I-20, I-75, I-85). The Exit number will be the mile marker.
That will tell you if you are going to or away from the accident and how close you are to it.
(Does not work on GA400)

[Ken in Regina]

Originally posted by apersson850
And if you do this when still moving, it will confuse you a bit more! :D

Just so, Anders. :p