Digital navigation apps impact urban traffic in Italy

A study published in Nature Communications by researchers from the CNR-ISTI and the University of Pisa reveals that the widespread use of digital navigation services, such as Google Maps and TomTom, may negatively impact urban mobility. By analyzing traffic simulations in Rome, Milan, and Florence, the research indicates that these tools tend to reduce the variety of routes chosen by drivers, concentrating traffic onto a smaller number of main arteries.

This concentration of vehicles can lead to increased traffic intensity on specific roads. The study suggests that these effects could potentially offset or even cancel out the environmental benefits typically expected from reduced CO2 emissions. The researchers utilized computer simulations integrating private vehicle GPS data with routing suggestions from major navigation services to evaluate scenarios ranging from 0% to 100% adoption rates.