As summer approaches and people head off for day trips and holidays, motorists are more likely to be exposed to radar checks. People are more likely to use unfamiliar roads where they do not know where the fixed speed cameras are. Each country also uses mobile radar controls, and various applications make it possible to know where they are located. If you want to avoid installing an additional app on your smartphone, be aware that Google Maps can notify you of speed camera checks.
The Google Maps application has been regularly used as a GPS on smartphones while driving since 2008. It only lacked a speedometer, already integrated on similar applications such as Waze, also owned by Google. However, in June 2019, Google started rolling out this new feature in several countries. It now provides several pieces of information on the same interface: navigation data and vehicle speed.
The Google Maps application can now inform us of the location of photo radars even before we start our route. The mobile application even goes so far as to warn us before crossing the path of a photo radar on the road.
This function has been launched in 40 countries, including Spain, Portugal and the United States. But Google Maps won’t just show you the speed cameras, but when you approach them, you’ll get an alert telling you to slow down.
Google Maps Speed Camera alerts is a function that many have been waiting for and has finally arrived on our iOS and Android smartphones.
Google is quietly deploying the new function of its Google Maps mapping application that allows us to know the location of fixed and mobile photo radars. Read on for all you need to know about Google Maps Speed Cameras UK.
Google Maps Speed Cameras effectively reduce driving speed and road accidents
Some people feel that photo radars are a tactic for law enforcement to make money, but they are primarily intended to reduce road accidents.
Photo radars are not placed in insignificant places. On the contrary, they are placed in notorious danger spots where an accident would be severe.
By showing us the locations of photo radars, Google Maps wants to encourage us to slow down to reduce the risk of an accident and avoid driving penalties.
By launching our route, Google Maps now shows the location of the photo radars and even goes so far as to give a voice warning to warn that a photo radar is coming.
How to turn on speed camera alerts on Google Maps
To activate the Google Maps speedometer:
- Open the Google Maps application
- Click on the menu icon at the top left
- Go to “Settings”
- Click on “Browsing settings”
- Scroll down until you see “Driving Route Options”
- Activate speedometer: the button is displayed in blue when the speedometer is active.
How to use Google Maps speed cameras?
The Google Maps application, as it opens, does not offer any traffic information on its map beyond points of interest (restaurants, gas stations, etc.).
Google Maps includes the default speed camera warning in its navigation system. So all you have to do is enter the route you want to take so that the speed cameras you will find along the way are indicated to you and any incidents along the way.
If you click on one of the speed cameras reported, an information window will open, detailing the type of speed camera, mobile, fixed or section speed camera and the last update of its presence.
Fixed speed cameras appear in yellow and mobile speed cameras in blue.
Once running, Google Maps, in addition to recording in real-time the speed at which the vehicle is travelling, also displays speed cameras in navigation mode and issues a warning when approaching each of them. In addition, if voice navigation is disabled, the browser notifies you with an image.
The Google Maps speedometer is automatically displayed when starting a new route. It appears at the bottom left of the screen and informs the user if the authorized speed limit is exceeded.
If the speedometer is not showing in Google Maps, the app may be outdated, so you may need to click on your smartphone’s app store and perform an update to benefit from the latest version.
Where are mobile speed cameras usually located?
Here are some of the areas where you can find a mobile radar:
- Speed cameras on highways or two-lane roads: These are usually placed on stretches of road where vehicles tend to travel faster than they should. The most common areas where mobile speed cameras are found are very close to cities’ exits, so they are placed about 10 kilometres from them.
- Radar for gear changes: There are specific areas where there are expected gear changes, and you can go from 30m/h to 60 m/h and vice versa. These are ideal locations for mobile speed cameras, which can identify drivers who do not respect the traffic speed of these roads and keep the previous one.
- Speed cameras on bridges: Bridges are places where speed is generally reduced. They are usually found on stretches close to the entrances to major cities.
- Freeway junctions: The authorized speed is generally different from one freeway to another when there are freeway junctions. This must be considered because you cannot go at the same speed on both, so it is a perfect place to install mobile speed cameras.
How to turn off the speed camera on Google Maps
It is not currently possible to disable this feature so check the legislation of the country in which you are travelling. It is legal in the UK but not in some other European countries.
Conclusion
The general recommendation is always to respect the speed limits with your vehicle, not only for your own good but also for that of others. Speed camera warning is perfect for this, but always try to concentrate on driving as safely as possible by following the Highway Code.
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