Use a navigation service with real-time traffic and you may get the equivalent of four days of your life back PLUS do your part to keep the Earth green

Use a navigation service with real-time traffic and you may save yourself four days of this

What’s the difference between listening to traffic updates on your radio vs. getting real-time traffic via your GPS device?

Four days, according to NAVTEQ.

The company announced results of a study today that monitored drivers in metropolitan Germany, evaluating driving behavior and time of those with traffic-enabled navigation devices and those without.

Results indicate that those with traffic-enabled navigation devices spent 18% less time driving on an average trip than those without. Applied over the course of a year, this time difference adds up to the equivalent of 4 days of driving each year.

According to the announcement, time savings by U.S. drivers would be similar. The study also showed that this savings can also lower CO2 emissions by 21%.

NAVTEQ released results of a similar study in April, showing that drivers using GPS navigation devices saw a 12 percent increase in fuel efficiency, which equals a 91-metric-ton decrease in carbon dioxide emissions every year per driver. According to their calculations, GPS navigation could save drivers 416 euros (about 539 US dollars) per year on gas.