pixel
Connect with us

Google

Google Maps will now show you upcoming speed traps

Finally.

google maps on dash in car
Image: Unsplash

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Google has been slow to integrate some of Waze’s best features into Google Maps, but now maybe with the addition of speed limit data and speed trap alerts, they’ll know how fast to move and when.

The last time anyone heard anything about the speed limit feature was back in 2017 when it was reported that Google was testing out speed limit tags in the San Francisco Bay Area of California and oddly, Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.

Finally, it seems the feature is getting a wider roll-out in the U.S., with multiple sources telling Android Police that speed limits were live in their Maps app. Oh, and let’s not forget the most important update being highlighted, speed trap alerts.

Speed limit notifications

Users in New York City, Los Angeles, and Minnesota all confirmed the addition of speed limit signs showing up on the bottom left of their screens while using Google Maps to navigate. Currently, all the reports of the change are users on Android, so iPhone users that use Google Maps instead of the inbuilt Apple Maps might have to wait.

Image: Android Police

It also appears that it was a server-side change, as the Google Maps app hasn’t had an update for a while. That might mean iPhone users won’t have to wait too long.

Speed limit reporting for roads has been an integral part of any GPS system for ages now, so it’s great that Google finally included it in Maps. Maybe they took so long to ensure accuracy, fearing being named in lawsuits if anyone got a ticket while following Google’s data. Then again, it’s not like they didn’t have the data – Waze is Google-owned and included the feature back in 2016.

Speed trap notifications

Another useful feature that most consumer GPS systems already had is speed trap data. Google has been testing this out with a small set of users for a few months now and it appears to be rolling out to more users currently.

Image: Android Police

Speed traps will show both in Navigation mode and on the main map while working on your route. While in Navigation mode, Maps will also alert the driver with an auditory tone when a speed trap is nearby.

While it seems like a long time coming, it’s good to see both of these features coming to the Google Maps experience.

What do you think? Happy to see these features rolling out? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

Follow us on Flipboard, Google News, or Apple News

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Google