We've significantly expanded our traffic regulation data by vehicle type, including large vehicles! This will evolve route searching for large vehicles in the transportation industry!

Until the spring of 2020, MapFan 's maps had traffic restriction data for large vehicles in some areas. However, the areas covered were limited, and only locations with physical restrictions such as tunnels, bridges, underpasses, and railway crossings were included in the survey. These are places where the risk is particularly high if large vehicles enter without fully understanding the traffic restrictions, and therefore these were areas that needed to be prioritized for data improvement.

For example, if a tall vehicle enters a low-ceilinged overpass (tunnel), it could not only damage the vehicle itself but also cause damage to the overpass (tunnel) or lead to an accident. If an overweight truck crosses a bridge, it could cause damage to the bridge or even collapse. We have already compiled traffic regulation data for large vehicles in locations with such serious hazards. However, since the data for large vehicle traffic regulations was insufficient in other locations, we decided to expand the scope of data beyond structures and carry out this expansion of traffic regulation data by vehicle type.

Click here for detailed Vehicle type regulation including large vehicles.

*Image: Example of a location with height restrictions, structures, and no signs.

The map data released in the fall of 2023 includes approximately 376,220 locations with vehicle-specific traffic restriction data. This is about 20 times more than the approximately 20,000 locations in the spring of 2020 data, before the data expansion and maintenance work began!
In addition to the areas with structures such as tunnels and bridges that we have been surveying, we have now also included areas with traffic control signs on roads. The roads covered are national highways, prefectural roads, municipal roads, agricultural roads, forest roads, and port roads throughout Japan. Narrow streets (roads less than 5.5m wide) are also included.

The traffic restrictions covered include 10 types of restrictions for large vehicles, such as "No entry for large freight vehicles," "No entry for large passenger vehicles," "No entry for vehicles (combinations) including large vehicles," "No entry for vehicles carrying hazardous materials," "Weight restrictions," "Height restrictions," "Maximum width restrictions," "No entry in directions other than specified," "One-way traffic," and "No entry for freight vehicles exceeding a specific maximum load capacity," as well as data on highway entrances and exits nationwide and weekend nighttime traffic restriction information for central Tokyo.

This Vehicle type regulation is available in map databases (MapFan DB) of course, as well as map API (MapFan API) Large vehicle route search results This will also be reflected in other areas. In dispatch systems using digital maps for large vehicles, especially in large vehicle route searches, more practical route search results will be displayed than before.

Basic information about the map API is summarized in the following document. If you would like to learn more about the map API, please refer to this document in conjunction with this article.

Download the free guide "Streamline Map Function Development! A Basic Guide to Understanding Map APIs"

*Image: Example of a road where large vehicles are prohibited and there are no structures.

*Image: Example without weight restrictions or structural elements

The extensive data expansion we've implemented utilizes an image recognition program that we've been working on in our research and development. From road driving image data acquired for map development, the program automatically recognizes and identifies the location of relevant regulatory signs, such as "No Entry for Large Trucks (No Entry for Large Vehicles)," and registers them as map data. This expansion of Vehicle type regulation was made possible by combining the nationwide driving image data we've diligently collected with the image recognition technology we've been developing in our research and development.

While many vehicle-specific traffic restriction signs can be automatically identified using image recognition, some require human judgment. In such cases, the system considers the surrounding circumstances to make the correct decision.

Download the document "Three Key Points to Solve Your Dispatch Planning Challenges for Area-Based Delivery" here >

*Click here for articles related to road driving images >

When maintaining traffic regulations signs for different vehicle types, we sometimes encounter signs that are difficult to interpret.

What is the exact area covered by a "No Large Trucks (No Large Vehicles)" traffic regulation sign? This isn't limited to large vehicle traffic regulations, but there are many cases where determining the area indicated by a sign is difficult, such as when the end point is not clearly specified.
For example, in one residential area, there is a "No Large Trucks Allowed" traffic sign only at the entrance, and there are no signs once you enter the residential area. On the other hand, there are also cases where "No Large Trucks Allowed" traffic signs are installed at every block. In both cases, the end point of the "No Large Trucks Allowed" restriction is not clearly indicated.

Deciding how to register data on a digital map, taking into account the surrounding circumstances, is a very challenging task.

*Image: An example where section determination and signs are continuously installed.

*Image: Example showing only the section for determining the zone and the installation of signs.

In addition, there are supplementary signs that are difficult to decipher.

The supplementary sign in this image reads "Large (excluding microbuses), Large Special Vehicles, and Specific Medium-Sized Freight Vehicles." At first glance, it's confusing to know exactly which vehicles these restrictions apply to.

Even for drivers of large vehicles, it's extremely difficult to instantly judge the scope of regulatory signs and vehicle conditions while driving. At GeoTechnologies, Inc., we are constantly working to improve our system by considering what kind of data would be helpful for guidance, while putting ourselves in the shoes of large vehicle drivers (although none of us have actually driven large vehicles ourselves...).

The compilation of vehicle-specific traffic regulation data is not yet complete. We plan to further develop and improve the traffic regulation data in the future.

Unlike printed maps, digital maps improve year after year. They not only update areas where the cityscape has changed, but also add information that wasn't previously included.

To ensure that we can reliably deliver the information that is needed in this era, MapFan 's digital map database (MapFan DB) is continuously being improved.

For more details on the digital map database (MapFan DB), click here >

For inquiries regarding the digital map database (MapFan DB), please click here >