A business group formed by a major mobile phone maker is using next-level mapping techniques to improve planning, road designs and driver safety in the future.

HERE is a business offshoot of Nokia, which is employing technologies they have dubbed “mapping for life” to gather mounds of time and location-specific data, analyse it and make conclusions about trips, driving styles, driver behaviour, dangers and other information.

Members of the tech-media industry were shown a demonstration of HERE’s work recently. One example displayed traffic flow on a main city freeway with colour-coded vehicle speeds to visualise shifting traffic and choke-points at peak hours.

A second example was used to show the way the high-tech mapping system could inform recommended speeds and brake points for a curve, by monitoring vehicle’s positions, velocity, acceleration, heading and windshield-washer settings.

A full report on HERE’s capabilities and applications is available from engadget.