Google Maps speed limits and radar locations arrive in 40 countries
Except where it's illegal, like France and Germany.
After running limited tests in the US and elsewhere, Google Maps is rolling out speed limit warnings and both fixed and mobile radar locations in over 40 countries, Google has confirmed to TechCrunch. The features are borrowed from Google-owned Waze and will appear in the iOS and Android Maps. The speed limit signs are located in the bottom corner of Maps and the radar and photo radar traps appear as icons on the virtual roads.
The features are available in Australia, Brazil, US, Canada, UK, India, Mexico, Russia, Japan, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe, Google said.
On Reddit, users in France, Switzerland and Germany noted that they aren't seeing the radar trap locations, likely because such features are illegal in those countries. In France, police are allowed to check your mobile phone for illegal apps and can levy steep fines and even confiscate your vehicle if they find them.
While both iOS and Android users can benefit from the new features, only Android users can report fixed photo radar and mobile radar location, for now. Google borrowed the features from Waze, and uses official sources and driver feedback, according to TechCrunch. Waze, however, has a richer feature set. It also warns of accidents, red light cameras, and other hazards.
Google Maps is widely used despite being a pretty bare-bones navigation app -- it still doesn't show your vehicle's speed, for instance. So speed limit and radar trap warnings are big changes that are long overdue.
