Although inertia is a very strong reason to change your habits, ultimately, in something as important as safety and peace of mind while driving, it is important to experiment until you find the Good. the best possible app for driving, even if it means going through the cash register. I started with Google Maps, but years ago I switched to Waze and stayed there.
During all this time, I’ve been a heavy user of Android Auto (also Apple CarPlay) and have used speed camera detection apps of all kinds on my travels, from free options like “Fixed speed cameras and mobile” or “SocialDrive” up to other paid ones. those like Coyote. But finally I always come back to Waze. The reason? It gives me radar and much more.
Let’s be realistic, I live in Madrid and here I always travel on foot or by public transport, my use of the car is limited to trips every two or three weeks to Pamplona and there, in the Navarrese capital, I travel more on four wheels: to go to the beach (80 km away), to play paddle tennis in the clubs located in industrial zones, for getaways to the mountains. This point is important to define what kind of driver am I
The problem with radar detection applications
Based on my driving habits, I have come to the conclusion that I don’t have to pay rent, which constitutes a handicap for many radar applications which are either paid directly or come with relevant premium features that are not included in the free pack. The first case is that of Coyote, the second that of CamSam or Radarbot.
Databases and types of speed cameras. For a radar detection application, its logic is to ensure that no radar, whatever it may be, is missed on a given road network: fixed radars, mobile radars, section radars, helicopters, invisible radars (velolaser ). Nowadays, virtually all popular GPS navigation apps worth their salt, e.g. Maps, Waze, TomTom AmiGo, Sygic, Maps.me, have fixed speed cameras and mobile speed cameras (although there are more differences here).
In the end, there is not much mystery in marking a radar that is still there, but the criticisms are peripatetic. It’s here that Waze takes the lead thanks to its community, capable of raising the alarm in a few minutes if it detects a radar at a point, direct or hidden police checks or directly, if someone exceeds the speed check and is then stopped by the police to impose a fine on them. fine. The speed and activity of the Waze community is unmatched and it’s the fish that bites its tail: the more people use it, the more community there is and the better it accomplishes these tasks. Of course, in addition to the appearance of speed cameras, it also warns you effectively so as not to miss them.
In short, in my experience, Waze doesn’t have much to envy of the best radar applications. But it has another trick up its sleeve: when you try a radar application, you discover that although it surely works well in its main function of revealing these speed measuring instruments, it neglects other sections like the interface or cartography. Here, GPS navigation apps generally have a better design. To taste, the colors, but Waze has a very clear design and casual, but not imprecise.
Why should I use Waze instead of a speed camera app? Because for my needs, I am not ready to spend money and based on this, the application gives me a complete and satisfactory overall experience, both in radar alert and navigation.
Cover | Álvaro García and Vs icons created by Freepik – Flaticon, Radar icons created by Freepik – Flaticon
In Xataka Android | I tried the main free applications with speed camera alert for Android Auto and it is clear to me that they are the best