Google Maps Now Has a Speedometer
- Mehedi Hassan
- Jun 06, 2019
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41
Google is updating Google Maps on Android to introduce another useful feature. After the company introduced the ability to see speed cameras, it’s now adding an actual speedometer to the Maps app.
That means when you are driving, you will be able to keep an eye on your own speed, along with the local speed limit. Android Police reports that the feature isn’t enabled by default, and it’s only available in some regions, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Taiwan, UK, and the US.
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The feature can be enabled through the Navigation settings under Maps’ preferences and doesn’t work with Android Auto just yet. But here’s the thing: Google is using GPS to calculate your speed, so I wouldn’t fully rely on the speedometer while driving. GPS isn’t fully reliable when it comes to calculating a car’s speed, so you are probably better off looking at your car’s actual speed from the dashboard.
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Conversation 41 comments
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starkover
Log in to Reply<p>Present in Waze for years, not surprised it's moving to Google Maps.</p>
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locust infested orchard inc
Log in to Reply<p>Hey, guess what, my car has a speedometer too. The difference being my car doesn't keep a ledger of my speeds, particularly those that I drive above the speed limit of the road being traversed (in the UK there is a 10% allowance for speeds exceeding the speed limit).</p><p><br></p><p>Google, on the other hand, has yet another metric concerning us to data harvest, probably to the extent of grassing on those who do drive above the speed limit, to the Police.</p><p><br></p><p>Google, the data guzzler.</p>
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BoItmanLives
Log in to Reply<blockquote><a href="#433654"><em>In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</em></a><em>. </em>Hurr Durr Google giving speed data to the police</blockquote><p> Facepalm</p>
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roho
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433654">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p><em>"..my car doesn't keep a ledger of my speeds…" </em>Don't be so sure, some do.</p>
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karlinhigh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433690">In reply to RoHo:</a></em></blockquote><p>Vehicles keeping a ledger of speeds:</p><p><br></p><p><em>These [Electronic Control Modules] with an [Electronic Data Recorder] function historically have not provided large amounts of data recorded over long periods of time and often only provide crash acceleration data. However, some do store pre-crash data including Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) data for a period of five to twenty seconds before an impact. It is reasonable to assume that most vehicles made since the start of this century more than likely have some ability to store crash data.</em></p><p>– crashforensics.com/automobiledatarecorders.cfm</p><p><br></p><p>An acquaintance of mine rebuilt a wrecked vehicle. One extremely foggy morning, he missed a stop sign and had a horrible multi-vehicle, multi-fatality crash. When law enforcement got the Event Data Recorder info, it said he was going something like 80 mph (129 kmph) before the accident. The data was from the accident prior to his rebuilding the vehicle, and hadn't been reset. That took some explaining; due to conditions, he'd been driving well below the speed limit.</p>
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SvenJ
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><a href="#433654"><em>In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</em></a><em> </em>They could have done that all along. The system knows how fast you are going, where you are and who you are. Just didn't display it. </blockquote><p><br></p>
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Orin
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433693">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thanks for posting this. After I read locust infested orchard inc's comment, this was the first thing that came to my mind.</p>
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CompUser
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433654">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>Probably not police departments, but I bet car insurance companies would be very interested in getting this data, and Google would be more than willing to sell it to them.</p>
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Winner
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433654">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>Why are you on a Microsoft site then with their Windows 10 advertising ID for you?</p>
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mountjl
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433654">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>No, there isn’t a formal 10% allowance in the UK. Catch a copper on an off day and you absolutely can and will get a speeding fine and points on your license. The 10% “rule” is a myth. True, you’ll PROBABLY get away with it, but it’s far from a guarantee. </p>
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dallasnorth40
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>For those instances when the speedometer on my dashboard is obscured by my phone?</p>
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karlinhigh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433655">In reply to dallasnorth40:</a></em></blockquote><p>No, it's for the instances where the speedometer on the dashboard doesn't say what speed zone I'm in. At least, that seems to be the usage habit I've developed from a Garmin unit.</p>
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SvenJ
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><a href="#433660"><em>In reply to karlinhigh:</em></a><em> </em>I wouldn't trust it to keep up with changes in speed zones, whether work zones or just changes. I've found this sort of thing to off quite often with Waze, Apple Maps, Here, etc. </blockquote><p><br></p>
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wright_is
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433660">In reply to karlinhigh:</a></em></blockquote><p>My car reads the signs on the side of the road and displays the current speed limit in the middle of the dashboard, between the speedo and rev counter.</p>
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ph-sth
Log in to Reply<p>So many things available elsewhere for years finally coming to Google Maps in the past twelve months. </p>
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nerdile
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433657">In reply to ph-sth:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm surprised nobody pointed out the windows phone / HERE maps connection :)</p>
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RonH
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433749">In reply to nerdile:</a></em></blockquote><p>I had posted that a while ago, and also requested the feature from Google :)</p>
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Skolvikings
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433749">In reply to nerdile:</a></em></blockquote><p>Garmin has had this on their GPS units for years.</p>
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Boris Zakharin
Log in to Reply<p>I could have sworn this has been there for a long time, but since I rarely use GPS, I might be thinking back to when I was using Waze or even Nokia Drive.</p>
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AnOldAmigaUser
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>The last time I checked, there was a speedometer in the car, and, as the driver, it is my responsibility to know the speed limit and any mitigating factors such as weather and road conditions. This data will go straight to the insurance firms, who will gladly pay the price for it. Saves them the cost of those stupid devices that they are peddling to offer you a discount. I am sure that there are municipalities and turnpike authorities that would find it a source of income as well. EZPass has already been used to issue tickets, though the speed has to be egregious.</p><p>Google does not add features if they are not getting something useful from them, remember you are the product, not the customer.</p><p>No thanks.</p>
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karlinhigh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433677">In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</a></em></blockquote><p>Garmin on-dash GPS units have shown speed and speed zone for years. I would miss the feature if it was gone. I would have no trouble believing that Google is just trying for feature-parity here.</p><p><br></p><p>ALSO: How is it that Google couldn't know driving habits BEFORE rolling out this feature?</p>
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jwpear
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433682">In reply to karlinhigh:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agree on the feature parity. I've used Waze for years and its ability to show the speed limit and my current speed is/was sorely missed when I tried using Google Maps. Its not so much that I need to see the speed, I have a speedometer after all, but rather that the feature then allows me to set a threshold over the speed limit (say 10 MPH) and get an audible alert when I've hit that. That's pretty useful in areas where the speed limit changes frequently.</p>
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wright_is
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433682">In reply to karlinhigh:</a></em></blockquote><p>In car nav systems as well and my car (only a Nissan Qashqai) also reads the road signs and displays the limit on the dash, so temporary limits are also shown up straight away.</p><p>Kias and newer Fords also seem to have this as well – at least the Sportage, e-Soul, e-Nero and the Ford Kuga I test drove all had it.</p>
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karlinhigh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433818">In reply to wright_is:</a></em></blockquote><p>So there's a dashcam or something that recognizes speed limit signs? It's not built into the map data?</p><p><br></p><p>Can someone fake it out by printing up and placing a convincingly accurate speed zone sign?</p>
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wright_is
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433898">In reply to karlinhigh:</a></em></blockquote><p>There is a camera connected to the computer, it is used for many things, situated next to the rain sensor. I believe it is used as a secondary to the collission detection radar, for instance. It looks for street signs and displays the speed limit and warnings. The navigation also has the speed limits for each stretch – my wife's Nissan Pulsar only has the navigation computer, no camera, so it doesn't show altered limits, just those in the database.</p><p>On the other hand, it is irrelevant what the computer says, whether it is the camera based system, the navigation system or Google Maps, it is the drivers responsibility to be aware of the signs and conditions around him and drive accordingly. If the Google Maps says you can drive 100, because the data hasn't been updated, or it is a variable speed limit section and there is a local restríction of 50, it is still the driver's responsibility to see he doesn't exceed 50, even if Google (or GPS or camera system) says they can drive at 100…</p><p>I would say the camera system is about 85% accurate.</p>
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AnOldAmigaUser
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433682">In reply to karlinhigh:</a></em></blockquote><p>I am sure that they were collecting the speed data before, since that is how they display the traffic conditions. My issue is the collection of the data in the first place. Since it is linked to an IMEI or a MAC address, it is absolutely personally identifiable. I do not think that any of us are naive enough to believe that they do not keep the data, and tie it to us…that is how they know the route you take to work.</p><p>The issue will come to a head when Google, or another navigation vendor, or the vehicle manufacturer, decides that a cut of traffic fines is more lucrative, or can be an add on revenue generator, to the current uses of the information. That day will come.</p><p><br></p>
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karlinhigh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433839">In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</a></em></blockquote><p>For USA folks, there's an unanimous <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/10-1259" target="_blank">Supreme Court decision</a> from 2012 that says law enforcement needs a warrant to put a GPS tracker on someone's vehicle.</p>
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Skolvikings
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433839">In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</a></em></blockquote><p>I have some tin foil hats to sell you. :)</p><p><br></p><p>Google is NOT going to participate with the government to give you a ticket. That's beyond absurd. You really think they'd do that? Google Maps would go bankrupt 24 hours after that hit the national news from the exodus of customers. I mean come on…</p>
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robinwilson16
Log in to Reply<p>This is really handy since my TomTom expired and is the only feature missing from Google Maps and it's surprising it has taken so long to add it. Great for the London area where the speed limit keeps changing so no needlessly driving at 30 when you don't need to.</p>
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CompUser
Log in to Reply<p>Another new feature that's not exactly new. When my now 23-year-old son was in junior high school (13/14 years old), he used to sit in the back seat of the car with Google maps running on his cell phone, and every time I went over the speed limit, he'd yell, "Dad, you're speeding". He was able to do this because Google Maps was showing how fast the car was going. In other words, it had a built in speedometer.</p>
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Travis
Log in to Reply<p>Those screenshots are the only thing I can pay attention to. They are so ugly with that hole in the upper right of the screen. Why anyone would design something like that is beyond me.</p>
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lvthunder
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>So if you start getting ads for radar detectors now you know why.</p>
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sandy
Log in to Reply<p>The benefit of GPS current speed is – at least while you're travelling on a straight, level stretch of road – it shows your actual speed, whereas many cars' speedometers exaggerate, and sometimes quite significantly:</p><p><br></p><p>For example a 2007 Volkswagen's speedo said 100 km/h when actually going 92 km/h, and at lower speeds it would read at least 4 km/h higher than actual. (This wasn't just VW, but apparently due to a stupid design rule at the time, and similar exaggeration was still present in 2010.)</p><p><br></p><p>So if you're wondering why everyone is passing you, check your actual speed with GPS.</p>
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AnOldAmigaUser
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#433730">In reply to Sandy:</a></em></blockquote><p>That is why traffic tickets are not typically issued for small infractions of the speed limit (except in certain municipalities that consider traffic fines a major funding source.)</p><p>If everyone is passing me, I generally speed up to match traffic. A slow moving vehicle is like a rock in a stream, an impediment to flow. The road gets more dangerous as the delta in speed between the fastest and slowest car increases.</p>
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the_real_entheos
Log in to Reply<blockquote>Tires wear</blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><a href="#433730"><em>In reply to Sandy:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p>
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dontbe evil
Log in to Reply<p>LOL didn't know wasn't there, I'm used to HERE where speedometer, (real) offline maps, and camera has been always there</p>
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rm
Log in to Reply<p>Welcome to 10 years ago Google Maps!</p>
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dustinsherrill
Log in to Reply<p>Hasn't that been there for quite some time? Or am I thinking Waze?</p>
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spullum
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>One of the best features of (Google-owned) Waze is the speedometer.</p><p><br></p><p>It feels like Waze’s days are numbered. I like GMaps too, especially for city walks, but they’re closing the feature gap. </p>
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peterh_oz
Log in to Reply<p>Here Maps has had this for years! And I would disagree re the accuracy thing, its a great way to calibrate your speedo. You'll quickly find that your car's speedo is deliberately under reporting your speed. That's vvery handy to know, esspecially on a long trip where a few extra kph can shave an hour off the trip, potentiially saving an extra rest break and could mean the difference between arriving in daylight or after sunset! (knocking 10% off a 10 houur trip makes a 9 hour trip). Won't make any difference to everyday travel, but on the long country highways it's a godsend.</p>
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jrzyshr
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>There appears to be an error in the "sample" images for this article. It's highly unlikely you would EVER achieve 56mph on that stretch of the BQE at 9:11am as depicted. ;)</p>