speed cameras and GPS

Barry,

Was the speed limit on the Bruce 100km or one of the many 50,60,70,80 or 90 kph zones. If it was a 100 zone I don't think you have a let to stand on as the overall limit in Qld is 100 unless posted. If however you came out on a say 80 zone and there were no signs between you and the camera and you assumed it was 100 then you may have a case if you could prove it.

G'day, found this to be very easy to use and to fit, very hard to miss the speed you are doing, except in tunnels, lol. Speedo

Barry,
you can contest the fine by explaining the circumstances.

Once you do this they may grant you an exemption. Just be warned they will flog you if you are caught again in the next 12 months.

No gps will give you up to date info. Trust me.

Barry,

I still believe the TomTom is as good as any GPS on the market, but then again I'm biased, having just upgraded from an older 4.3" model to the latest 5" Go Live 825 with lifetime map updates and annual speed camera location data. This data is also updated on a regular basis, ie, as soon as any change to map data, or speed camera locations is applied, you receive an online alert to updates, regardless of whether the GPS is connected to the PC or not.

I have noticed a pretty good accuracy with speed zones and the alert given by the unit if you are just over the speed limit. The area around the speed display turns red and an audible alert issued when you transgress.
However, any GPS requires continual updating to maintain its accuracy.

My son borrowed it last weekend and tells me he received an alert for a portable speed trap he passed through. I think this must have been a coincidence of some kind because to the best of my knowledge, no GPS has a radar detector built-in.
Maybe the location was a frequent spot for the speed camera on a tripod and someone has sent in the co-ordinate data and it has been recorded as a "permanent" location.

I don't intentionally speed, however I find the alerts issued a great "wakeup" when you are not paying constant attention to your speed for different areas. One case is when you turn off from a normal 60kph main road into a minor road with a 50kph limit.
Very easy to "forget" the minor roads are 50kph zones unless otherwise posted.

A smart phone may be OK but would depend on the application you are running and how often that application is updated. I run a CoPilot live app on my iPhone as a backup to occasions when I don't have the Tomtom with me, (eg. work vehicle) but I haven't noticed the same level of speed and/or red light camera alerts as my TomTom.

I don't use mine all the time around the metro area, but do find it to be an extremely effective driving aid when I do use it. I tend to only employ the TomTom to give directions to an unfamiliar address I am heading to. I should probably use it more often
As far as the more remote areas are concerned, I use the TomTom in conjunction with a Hema Navigator which gives pretty good accuracy to country road speed limits too. (Country roads don't tend to change all that often)

For the use you require, a dedicated street guidance GPS such as the TomTom is your best bet and the higher level models in whatever brand, will give the more accurate results.

Gday Barry

My Navman tells me the speed of the area when i go past speed signs. It drops from 100 t0 80 at the signs and all other speed restrictions. I find it rather good.

I bought a Uniden & it displays the speed limit signs & tells me when I am over the limit with....."The speed limit is 60 " It also tells me about "Railway crossing ahead" cost me $146 with 3 years of map updates. Rob.

Whenever my wife drives the Hema 5 seems to be endlessly telling her that 'she is over the speed limit'

Bazz,

Your best bet is a smart phone with the Tom Tom app on it. When you fire up the app it uses the built in gps on your phone and talks to you just like a regular tomtom.

What makes the smart phone better than a standalone tomtom is that several times a year, the tomtom app on your phone will ask you if you want it to download the latest maps and speed info. When you say yes, it just does it right over the phone connection. You don't have to pay anything for these updates.

It still won't be perfect, but it is probably the best you can do.

Even better, in NSW it also beeps at you anytime you are approaching a speed camera. I'm not sure if it does this in all states.

Although I try to drive the speed limit anyway, I have been saved from a couple of tickets by the beeping reminder. You can also set it to alert you if you are going more than five Kms over the speed limit.

Hope that helps!

OzBadDude

On the smartphone you can get an app called trapster.

trapster

I find it pretty good. It gives you warnings of speed limits, camera's, roadworks etc. does rely on input from the public tho. Its free so worth a look.

wizzer

I believe Smart Phones only work in areas with signal. Your GPS will tell you if it can tell you where you are. Most dedicated GPS these days use the same software for their Navigation System, and unless you notice something has changed and advise the GPS manufacturer, it may take some time to get a correction, and all GPS units using that software will be the same. Remember that a GPS can't automatically know what your current conditions are - they are programmed in. All it can do is tell you where you are - by co-ordinates.
I have a Hema HN6, and it tells me when I am speeding - you can set it to give you leeway over or under the posted speed limits - and in the 4WD section, you can program it to tell you when you are going over the maximum speed that you want to travel.

I have IgO as my GPS software........it gives me a verbal warning the instant I am over the speed limit........I didn't even know it had that voice capability... as I had just fitted it to my cruiser as an in dash unit and was driving along having just entered a 90 zone from 110 and didn't notice the sign.....I had just driven some 150 km on open road so I guess I was less attentive to speed signs than I should have been

"YOU ARE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT" suddenly boomed out at me and frightened the livin daylights out of me! ...I had no idea where the voice came from.....inside the car...outside the car ..whatever. I just hit the anchors down to 90 and within secs I was back to where I should have been........less than 100 m on was a mobile speed trap and so I reckon it paid for itself then and there.

This voice activation has without doubt saved me on many occasions ....its only limitations are in reality the accuracy of the maps and inbuilt speed zones...as they do change at times......but I am very happy and recommend you consider it

You can't do better than Hema Navigator. Expensive but worth it. Separate of road mapping and great for showing speed limits on screen.

I use a TomTom VIA 280 with life time maps and no probs with speed/red light cameras altho i did buy the lic to get full updates 18 months for the price of 12 was about $49 from memory