- The best radar warning apps for Android and iPhone
- Are speed camera apps legal?
“Beep, beep, beep” and the phone’s display lights up red. There’s no doubt about it, there must be a speed trap a few meters away. A quick glance at the speedometer shows that you need to slow down to 5 km/h. Take your foot off the gas – and everything is fine again. In times when new speed traps are springing up like mushrooms, the use of radar warning apps, or speed camera apps for short, has become one of the most popular uses for smartphones in the car.
But not all apps work reliably, and some popular services have since been discontinued. And what about the legal situation? We explain how radar detectors work on smartphones and which good apps there are for Android and iOS. We also summarize whether and when speed camera apps are banned in Germany.
The best radar warning apps for Android and iPhone
In the following picture gallery we present recommended speed camera warning apps. We explain how speed camera apps work below.
How radar warning apps work
Thanks to its GPS receiver, your phone always knows where it is. This position information can be used for more than just navigation. Radar warning apps also access it and compare the current location with information about speed traps. If you move towards a speed trap, a warning appears on the display. The system has strengths and weaknesses.
Fixed radar traps rarely change
The locations of fixed speed cameras rarely change. This means they are detected particularly reliably. The speed camera database included in the app therefore becomes outdated very quickly.
Apps that only warn about permanently installed speed cameras are therefore generally more economical with mobile data volume. They update themselves at home via WiFi and then manage without a mobile internet connection when you are out and about.
Reporting system for mobile radar devices
Mobile speed cameras can be set up and dismantled within a matter of hours. This makes it difficult for apps to warn about these devices. Most providers rely on the community here. Anyone who discovers a speed trap can report it at the touch of a button in the app and thus warn other users. A mobile internet connection is required for this, but data consumption is kept within imperceptible limits.
What is more problematic is that apps with a small community have only a few reports. The warnings are correspondingly patchy.
Protection against false reports
The systems are fairly well protected against digital vandals who report for fun – probably because a location must first be reported by several drivers before warnings are sent to other drivers in the area.
Reading tips: Connect your mobile phone to your old car radio
However, the data quickly becomes outdated. Some systems therefore ask passing drivers later whether the speed trap is still there. But this distracts from the traffic.
False alarms possible
Since the apps only monitor the location and at best compare it with a road map, they can reliably detect whether you are driving towards a trap. However, false alarms can also occur, for example if you drive over a motorway bridge and the trap is on a road under the bridge. In practice, however, this is just annoying and not a real problem.
Continue reading: On the following page you will find out whether it is even legal to use speed camera apps.
Source: www.connect.de
