Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Google Maps’ Waze-like speed-camera feature rolls into 40 more countries

Trevor Mogg
By
Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images

At the start of the year, Google added the ability to see speed cameras and speed limits in Maps for select markets, and now it’s bringing the feature to more than 40 additional countries.

Likely loathed by traffic cops but loved by drivers, the feature is finally getting a proper rollout — a full three years after it first appeared on Google-owned navigation app Waze.

Recommended Videos

Google is yet to officially announce the expansion of the feature but confirmed the news to TechCrunch on Thursday, May 30.

It means that with Google Maps, motorists in the newly added countries can now see the speed limit displayed in the bottom corner of the screen for any road they’re driving along.

The speeds cameras, on the other hand, will appear at their precise location on the road, with a single audio alert prompting approaching drivers to adjust their speed should they be a little over the limit.

If you’re not seeing any information about the presence of speed cameras but you’ve seen a few of them when you’re out and about, it’s likely because such a feature is illegal in your country. It could also be that a driver hasn’t reported it, which has to happen for it to appear on the map.

At the current time, only Android users are able to report the location of fixed or temporary speed cameras, though iOS users of Maps will be able to see the data, so long as local laws allow it. It’s not yet clear if iOS users will have the chance to report the location of speed cameras at some point in the future.

To report a speed a camera, crash, or congestion, tap on the “+” sign in the speech bubble that appears when Maps is in navigation mode, and then tap again on the appropriate button.

Here’s the full list of countries where drivers can use Google Maps’ speed-related features: U.S., Canada, U.K., Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Brazil, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe.

If you’re not a big fan of Google Maps and are looking for an alternative, check out Digital Trends’ short and sweet comparison piece that puts Maps alongside Waze.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Tesla Model 3 vs. Hyundai Ioniq 6: Which electric sedan is best?
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6.

There are finally some more electric sedan options. For years, the Tesla Model 3 was really the only good electric sedan that comes at a reasonable price -- until, Hyundai recently launched the Ioniq 6. The Ioniq 6 certainly takes some cues from the larger Ioniq 5, but is smaller and sleeker, with a design seemingly inspired by the Porsche 911.

But the Tesla Model 3 is still clearly an excellent option for those looking for an electric car, and who don't want a larger crossover. Which is better? Here's a look.
Design
The exterior design of the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 is quite different. If you've seen a Tesla car before, then you'll immediately recognize the Model 3 -- it looks largely like a slightly different version of every other Tesla (except the Cybertruck).

Read more
Scout Motors Electric SUV: rumored price, release date, design, and more
Scout SUV Teaser

There's another electric SUV on the way, and this one comes with a familiar name. Volkswagen is reviving the classic Scout name for a new electric SUV that's billed as being an "RUV," or a rugged utility vehicle. And, it could well prove itself as the best electric SUV in its price range, when it does finally come out.

The new EV isn't due out for quite some time, but there's already a fair bit that we know about it. Curious to learn more? Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Scout SUV.
Design
There's very little we actually know about the Scout SUV so far, but we do know a little about the eventual design. A few teasers for the upcoming vehicle have been released, showing sketches of both the SUV and the accompanying pickup truck, along with what's presumably the front of the SUV -- though in a dark environment, with little detail.

Read more
Volkswagen ID.GTI concept is another icon reimagined as an EV
Front three quarter view of the Volkswagen ID.GTI concept.

Volkswagen reinvented one of its most iconic models with the ID.Buzz, a modern, all-electric homage to the classic Microbus. But that's not the only fan favorite vehicle currently in the automaker's catalog.

Debuting at the 2023 Munich Auto Show, the Volkswagen ID.GTI concept aims to do for the Golf GTI hot hatchback — VW's signature performance car — what the ID.Buzz did for the Microbus. VW claims a production version has already been given the green light, although it won't say when it will appear.

Read more