Driving requires constant concentration and attention. To make your journeys more comfortable and less stressful, there are today various driving assistance applications capable of alerting you to anything that could represent a danger on the road..
Speed camera warnings are prohibited in France
As you probably know, since 2011, it is strictly forbidden to use a GPS application such as a speed camera warning system used to accurately report the location of speed control systems . All these tools have become completely illegal and have been replaced by driver assistance applications.
Unlike speed camera warnings, driver assistance applications do not signal the precise position of fixed or mobile speed cameras but a danger zone. The size of these zones varies according to the type of road: 300 meters in built-up areas, 2 km outside a city and 4 km on the highway..
These alerts are not only used to warn the driver of the presence of a speed camera. They are also used to report traffic jams, accidents, vehicles parked on emergency stop strips, stray animals on the road, work and all kinds of difficulties.
How driver assistance apps work
To offer quality services and updated information in real time, driver assistance applications are mainly based on mutual assistance. Each user is therefore invited to report the dangers (traffic jams, speed cameras, accidents, etc.) encountered on the road so that they can share them with the rest of the community.
Each member has tools allowing him to confirm or on the contrary to deny the presence of a danger. A point and bonus system has also been implemented on most driver assistance applications to encourage this type of behavior..
As a driver, you will certainly be tempted to choose the app with the largest community of active users. This criterion, far from being trivial, allows us to benefit from reliable information. Unfortunately it is difficult to verify.
Waze participatory GPS
You can't talk about speed camera warnings without quoting Waze. The driving assistance application purchased by Google has attracted a large number of drivers. Several reasons explain this success. Firstly it is free but in addition it offers a wealth of information ( traffic jams , accidents, objects on the road, restaurants and even the price of fuel). Everything is reported with great precision.
As with a conventional GPS, simply enter your point of arrival and click on the Go button to start navigation. Hazards are then reported in real time. An audible alert followed by a message You enter a control zone will warn you of the presence of speed cameras.
However even if the Waze application is capable of replacing any real GPS , it can only work if your smartphone is connected to the internet.
iCoyote
The iCoyote application has one of the most pleasant interfaces on the market. Like its competitor Waze, users are invited to report accidents, traffic jams or speed cameras encountered on their journeys.
The Coyote communities are also extremely effective. There are few dangers that escape him. This is all the more true on the secondary network. At each alert, a pictogram is displayed on the big screen of your smartphone along with a progress bar in order to know the duration of the difficulties. Very practical to keep the points of your driving license .
Important detail, the iCoyote application is chargeable. You get 15 days free during the first installation. After this time, you will need to subscribe to one of the offers offered. 11.99 euros for one month, 49.99 euros for one year or 89.99 euros for two years.
Be careful, the use of these driving assistance applications should not make you forget the caution. The road is not a playground. Everyone should be responsible and respect the rules of the road .