Trapster.com - FREE real time app for avoiding speed traps!

[Matt Collins]

Has anyone here subscribed to Trapster?

It's a free real time app for your smartphone which allows you to report and track speed traps in REAL TIME!


I used it on a trip yesterday and it was dead accurate. It interfaces with Google Maps and shows you where the traps were reported and how long ago they were reported.

Totally my new favorite driving tool :D

[t0rnado]

This app could work to slow down cars if cops posted a bunch speed trap points on the map at dangerous intersections. But that's if cops actually gave a crap about making the roads safer.

[DirtMcGirt]

I have it; its a great concept but the updated "traps" in my area are few and far between.


I slightly remember an article explaining how cops wanted to shut this app down...

[Matt Collins]

I slightly remember an article explaining how cops wanted to shut this app down...



DC Police chief denounces 'cowardly' iPhone users monitoring speed traps (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=199416&highlight=trapster)
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=199416






.

[Cowlesy]

Well where I drive there are so many traps now, at least every 10 miles on a 65mph interstate, that I just drive the speedlimit as its too much of a pain to speed-up/slow-down. Definitely don't need that application.

[Reason]

I have tried this app and it is essentially useless.

[getch36]

I gave up breaking the speed limit a long time ago. Cops are EVERYWHERE these days, just looking for an excuse to pull you over.

[Matt Collins]

I have tried this app and it is essentially useless.
Why do you say that? :confused:

[james1906]

I gave up breaking the speed limit a long time ago. Cops are EVERYWHERE these days, just looking for an excuse to pull you over.

+1

That and I have nowhere important to be.

[MelissaWV]

Speeding generally doesn't save you much time, and if you're speeding up/slowing down based on these apps, you're likely just wasting gas and shortening the life of your vehicle.

I haven't seen too many police pull folks over for going flow of traffic, so long as they weren't doing something else really dumb on top of that. This seems practical to me. If you stop someone for "just speeding" out of a group of speeders, you are either incredibly bored, or inefficient. Wait a few more seconds, and someone who is speeding AND changing lanes illegally AND not wearing their seat belt will come along. Pull THAT person over, and the ticket is far heftier.

Of course, when you're driving "alone" on the roads, you're going to stand out, so it's best to try to keep your speed within reasonable distance of the posted limit, unless you'd like to make a point and don't mind the obvious risks of being a smarty-butt to the police.

[jmdrake]

I guess it depends on where you live. In Nashville police routinely use speed traps as a source of revenue. They literally do carefully planned "stake outs" to catch speeders. Here's one scenario. One cop will be at the bottom of one side of a curved bridged crouched down with his radar. Several others will be at the bottom of the other side pulling cars over. And this is often done in areas where the speed limit has recently changed. If you go with the "flow of traffic" (since most people don't notice the speed change) you will get pulled over and get a ticket. There are a few places like this where the cops are known to hang out and pull this stunt. Knowing where those areas are is (to me) helpful.

[Anti Federalist]

I gave up breaking the speed limit a long time ago. Cops are EVERYWHERE these days, just looking for an excuse to pull you over.

Thus the police state control grid is erected.

One bar at a time.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

I hate apple.

[getch36]

Thus the police state control grid is erected.

One bar at a time.

Your 100% right about that..................

[Working Poor]

They need an app for traffic stops and road blocks

[jmdrake]

They need an app for traffic stops and road blocks

The same app can cover different scenarios. It already covers speed traps, red light cameras and "live police". (Not sure what that means). It shouldn't be hard to add road blocks if that's not already in it.

[Uriel999]

public roads, public rules. Don't speed. I don't.

[Matt Collins]

This app could work to slow down cars if cops posted a bunch speed trap points on the map at dangerous intersections. But that's if cops actually gave a crap about making the roads safer.
The % of people driving who actually use these types of apps tend to make it so that the cops generally don't care about subverting it. Besides, the service is time dependent so the more people that report a trap within a specific amount of time the more "reliable" the service marks the report of the trap. Therefore if it only gets 1 report by the same person it might not even be on the screen for very long. However if a bunch of people report the trap then it will be very evident that it's probably real.


I also use a CB for highway travel because it's very useful there too. Truckers all the time report speed traps (wrecks, construction, blockages etc) on channel 19 and yes of course the cops could have a CB and do the same thing, but it serves the same goal - slowing down traffic. A few nefarious cops could potentially give disinfo however again the % of drivers that rely on a CB makes it almost not worth the cop's time to play with.


Best way to avoid speed traps?
1- High quality radar detector with freq and direction readout
2- CB radio set to ch 19 (for interstate travel)
3- Trapster or similar app
4- Avoidance tactics such as traveling in a pack or getting 1/4 mile behind a rabbit and following them.

[Matt Collins]

They've updated it, love this app!

[fr33]

I think more people use Waze.