Trapster

[Ben73]

Well it seams it's pretty much agreed that these new Mobile speed cameras(in NSW) are purely for revenue raising and are not in interest of road safety at all.
The governement has said multiple times how much money it will bring in, but they have never quoted how many lives it will save. Probably because they don't know/care.
Most people who get done by them are people unintentionally doing 5 to 10 or so over the speed limit. So why don't we beat them at their own game.

Got and iPhone or another phone that can use apps? Go to the App store right now and download "Trapster speed traps alert".
It is a free and very useful.

You leave this app open while you drive and it audibly and visually warns you of hazards ahead. Warnings include Fixed Speed and Red Light cameras, known enforcement points, live police, combo cameras, mobile speed cameras, accidents, dangerous intersections or curves, road closures, school zones and a few other hazards on the road.

If you are driving along and you notice an unreported mobile speed camera, you simply press "report" and a warning is left in that location for other drivers.
You can also enable Push Notifications so the app will inform you when a new trap is added, even if the app is not even running on your Phone.
On the map it shows blue lines on the road if other users have recently traveled on that road(if they are registered). So you are aware that people are constantly using this application

I have had this app for a few months and when I got it, it was very quite, might not get a hazard added for a day or 2. But lately around here it has picked up and multiple hazards are reported everyday. The more people the better. It's not just so people can avoid a fine, it also makes driving safer by alerting approaching people of hazards.

So start using this app as much as possible, tell everyone you know about it. The more popular it is, the more useful it is.

[Rodp]

Unless it's changed recently, the majority of the info you get on it is stale.

Quite often it would report a speed trap from 2+ weeks ago - and if you do decide to use it, make sure you plug it into external power. It sucks battery like no other app I've ever used. It got to the point where it was just annoying listening to all the sirens going off and seeing that it was an alert from several days before.

[Ben73]

The alerts should not stay for days. They all time out after a few hours, expect School zones and fixed cameras.

Oh btw I was passing a mobile speed camera today just as he was packing up for the day. I followed him up the road for a while and his speed was ranging between 65-70 in a 60 zone. Yet he has no problems catching people doing 64 in a 60 zone, Stupid hypocrites.

[rancidpunx]

Originally Posted by Rodp

Unless it's changed recently, the majority of the info you get on it is stale.

Quite often it would report a speed trap from 2+ weeks ago - and if you do decide to use it, make sure you plug it into external power. It sucks battery like no other app I've ever used. It got to the point where it was just annoying listening to all the sirens going off and seeing that it was an alert from several days before.

I was wondering how the data was refreshed. The info is only as good as the person adding it.

[Ben73]

I believe when new data is added, other people passing the area are asked to confirm it.

[Ross-b]

it is a good app in my opinion
if your phone had the ability to notify without the app being open you get past the power issue
although mines always plugged in in the car so it doesn't bother me
the more people using it the better so don't give up on it just yet
you can customise for which hazards it notifies you
if your a local and some of the fixed hazards annoy you, you can ignore them through the app or just make it so it only shows you live events
its fairly flexible and free

[Ben73]

That's right it's very customizable. Which means it can suit almost everyone.

I just charge my phone every time I'm in the car so It's no worry in that respect.
I wished it was a bit louder though. On full volume with a radio on or a window down it is hard to hear.

I still can't believe the hide of this camera car operator. He sits there snapping speeders all day then drives off and speeds himself.
I'd like to make an official complaint about his driving.
I know that nothing would come of it, but it will be good just to irritate them.
I can't be bothered anyway.

[Martyvan]

just remember, as you drive, it is downloading the google maps, so have a good data plan, i used it once, and a general journey was only so so, as the maps struggled to keep up at 80kph plus...... but other than that, you can set it up to show you current spots, where a camera has been anytime, and other problem spots... there may be delays, but, you can set it to only give you alerts when that have been confirmed in the last xx amount of hours...

[grandpa_spec_F6]

It's a good app 'in concept', however some ning nong labeled a weigh bridge camera a speed camera, and trapster thought it was a 60 zone... never heared such a fuss come from a phone!

[tranquilized]

I tried this app out when I first got my iPhone a year ago. Brilliant idea but the info wasn't as accurate as it needed to be, and it sucked power. Both problems that have already been mentioned.
But, if it gets more popular, the info will get better as well - think its time I tried it out again.

As for the warning volume, I usually listen to music from my iPhone through the car sterep while driving, which is faded out when the announcments are made. Makes hearing them easy, but when the info was old, or wrong, it just made it more annoying...

[Ross-b]

power and data really arent a problem with the newer version
just run it in the background and just listen to the warnings
phone screen can be off which draws the most power

and data wise
unless your on a no data plan i cant see it being a problem
again with it in the background it doesnt need the map it just uses location and matches with warnings so it dosnt download the map
besides google maps really doesnt put that much demand on data, i once did a 600+km trip with google maps open most of that time and it really didnt use alot of my data plan

[mik]

i have the permanent cameras(safety area`s) on my gps, between the alarm going off for those and the black spot area`s, railways tracks, school zones, they drive me mad.

[Ben73]

Background Mode is very data and battery efficient. I have a 2 or 3 gb plan a month I have never even came close to using it yet. I always use my phone Internet. I'm even on it now at work.
So if you have a decent plan you won't go over using this app. Especially in back ground mode.


Mik, this app does all the same as your gps plus more. But indervidual hazards can be also turned off or silenced.