Google Maps Now Warns You About Speed Traps

Google is adding the location of speed traps to Google Maps. This means drivers will be warned when approaching a speed camera. Google is also adding speed limits to Google Maps. These will be displayed in the app, leaving drivers with no excuses for speeding.

How to Locate Speed Traps in Google Maps

Speed traps will appear as icons on the roads themselves. This mainly applies to stationary speed cameras for obvious reasons. However, Android users will be able to report the locations of mobile speed cameras to warn their fellow drivers to proceed with caution.

Speed limits will appear in the bottom corner of the app, giving drivers a second way of checking the speed limit besides watching for road signs. The only problem is the need to look at your phone to see the speed limit, forcing you to take your eyes off the road.

Pull a car over for speeding.

Me: Do you know what the speed limits is?

Driver: 60….but I was doing 70 because I have to poo.

Me: It’s actually 50 and you were well over 80. And you passed a gas station with a bathroom. #VPD #patrol #heresyourcoupon

— Sandra Glendinning (@BehindBlueLine) May 7, 2019

Google has been testing these new features in a handful of countries but is now rolling them out on a wider scale. Google itself hasn’t officially announced the changes, but this Reddit thread revealed the rollout before TechCrunch confirmed the news.

The new features are being rolled out on Android and iOS in 40 countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, India, Mexico, Russia, Japan, Croatia, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden.

Download: Google Maps for Android | iOS

Google Maps Borrows Features From Waze

Displaying the location of speed traps is sure to be controversial. After all, their ultimate goal is to catch people driving above the speed limit. Which is a good thing. However, sat-navs have been warning of speed traps for years, so Google is just catching up.

And let’s not forget Waze, which also offers these exact same features. Google now owns Waze, so it was only a matter of time before it started borrowing its best features. On that note, Waze is one of the best Google Maps alternatives, and well worth checking out.

Image Credit: Joshua Kirby/Flickr

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