The American way of expressing distances by drive time - what does that include?

  • dan1101@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Generally you stop every 2-4 hours to stretch your legs, go to the bathroom, get fuel, etc.

    So if Google Maps says a drive takes 10 hours, I would factor at least another 1.5 hours for stops and a meal somewhere along the way. So 11.5 hours or so if you don’t stay stopped too long. 0 miles per hour brings the average down quickly.

    • Galluf@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Nah, if Google maps says it takes 10 hours, then it takes 10 hours with stops unless you’re in the bottom 10% of traffic (such as if you’re a truck towing a trailer).

      If you’re like most people going 5 to 10 mph over, then you’ll beat Google maps time by about 15 minutes per 2 hours of drive time without stopping.

      • rooster_butt@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Google maps accounts for speeding so it learns and adjusts on the fly. I find it to be pretty accurate with my driving patterns which are definitely nowhere close to tenth percentile.

        • TheOhNoNotAgain@lemmy.worldOP
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          1 year ago

          I drove to the Swedish province Värmland (known for fostering quite a few rally drivers). During the drive to get there, I could see how the ETA ticked down a few minutes every hour. While driving in Värmland, it was the opposite. The ETA ticked up, even while speeding a little.

      • dan1101@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        In my experience for long trips Google Maps doesn’t account for stops, especially if you’re stopping for sit-down meals or traveling with several people. In fairness Google would have no way to gauge that. More people = more delays usually. For a solo driver stopping only for fuel, bathroom, and a few snacks it should be accurate. But just one exit where the place you’re going turns out to be a few miles off the Interstate can easily cost you 30 minutes extra.