Hands Free Traffic England

About Hands Free Traffic England Android App

Completely Hands Free!

Explanation of permissions:

Phone Calls (READ PHONE STATE AND IDENTITY) - The app requires the ability to see if your phone is ringing, and if so, to stop audio playback so you are not missing advisories, or hearing them while you are on the phone! This permission is bundled with "serial number and phone number of this phone" permissions, but NONE of this phone-identifying information is collected nor transmitted by this application.

Storage - The app needs to store and save your preferences so you have them loaded when starting up the app.

Your location - This allows the app to determine your location so you only receive advisories in your selected area.

Network Communication - This application uses the internet to get information on advisories and to fetch the files that you hear.

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Provided to you in association with the Highways Agency, you can listen to your phone play travel advisories near you. As you travel, it will automatically keep you updated with advisories that are nearby. You don’t need to register, you don’t need to sign up anywhere for anything. The app uses the phone’s built-in GPS to stream nearby alerts.

Turn it on before you leave and it will start talking when you are getting near a roadway problem. Alerts pause when you are on the phone, and pick up where they left off when you finish.
Note: The Highways Agency is responsible for operating, maintaining and improving England's motorways and all-purpose trunk roads (the major A roads). This app only contains information about the roads the Highways Agency manages.

How it Works
Start the application before starting your car. You will start to hear active Highways Agency advisories that are within your range. Now put down the phone and focus on driving. There is nothing you need to touch on the phone, and nothing you need to read on the phone. Completely hands-free.

The application will remain on while you drive, "broadcasting" any travel alerts for reported conditions within a set mile-range (that you can set for yourself) of your current location. Conditions will be broadcast once, and then the broadcast stream will go quiet until:

a. There is an update to an advisory in range, or
b. Until you have just come within range of another advisory or
c. A set time period has elapsed (that you get to set) and you want to re-hear all advisories that are still in range.

If you get a call or make a call while a travel alert is playing and do not have a mobile plan that allows simultaneous data and voice, the alert will pause, and will resume playing when the call has ended.

User Modifications Features/ Experience
You can modify several options such as the advisory replay interval and the range (in miles) for hearing advisories. These configurations are saved on your phone.

The application gives you audio player controls for Play, Pause, Stop, Skip, and Replay All.

You can manually request advisories to play by pressing the "play" button.

If the GPS signal is not available the device will utilize the highest precision location tool available (whether it be GPS or cell tower triangulation).

You do not need to register to use this app or to get these alerts. We don't get or record any identifying information about you or your phone. By default, you will be elected into reporting your device-determined speed along with your location to our servers, but you can elect to opt-out from within the application. You must opt-out of this selection each time the application is restarted.

The Technology
The application is based on Information Logistics’ patent pending "Open Microphone Platform", which is a queue-driven streaming technology platform used in combination with your phone's built-in GPS.

IMPORTANT - Please note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
IMPORTANT - NON-GPS DEVICES This application will have some limited functionality on these devices.