[rakesh_r]

As per an article in TOI - Pune edition, an excerpt from the article:

The Highway Safety Patrol’s Pune unit reported close to 4% drop in cases of speeding last year compared to 2022 on the 54km Pune-Mumbai Expressway stretch from Kiwale exit to-Amrutanjan Point, but its officials attributed it largely to the use of illegal cellphone applications by motorists to circumvent speed cameras and interceptor vehicles, besides blocks undertaken for repair works.

https://epaper.indiatimes.com/articl...005_toipuc_TOI

To an extent, I do agree to the point where people slow down suddenly when nearing the cameras or when they see an Interceptor, while caring two hoots of the vehicle behind them. Couple of months back had a scary incident when an Alto in front of me applied its brakes suddenly on seeing an Interceptor to reduce speed. Since I had maintained a safe distance I was able to brake safely.

Since the govt is on an app banning spree, would apps like Radar Bot or Waze face the music?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

To an extent, I do agree to the point where people slow down suddenly when nearing the cameras or when they see an Interceptor

Waze warns you well in advance. Like 300 - 400 meters? There is no need to brake suddenly, you have ample advance warning.

Since the govt is on an app banning spree, would apps like Radar Bot or Waze face the music?

Waze is also used for navigation & is owned by Google. Won't be easy to block them. At best, if this becomes too widespread for cops, the Govt will tell Waze to disable the speed camera feature in its Indian version.

[windrider]

Let them ban it from the Play Store. I will download the obb file from Google and install it. As long as the govt doesn't say it is illegal, I have no moral dilemma in using it. I am a sedate driver and very rarely go above 70-80kmph on the highway in my cars. I installed it on my phone just to stay safe from drivers who panic brake on seeing speed cameras. The highways in Kerala are just 4 lanes for long stretches and this is an issue in case someone panic brakes or slows down suddenly on seeing a camera, which are present abundantly in kerala.You barely have an escape route to avoid a collision on these narrow roads. So as soon as I see a speed camera approaching on the app, I am able to be extra cautious of idiots, slow down in advance and leave more than sufficient gap between the vehicle in front of me and avoid any dangerous situations.

[androdev]

I think, unwittingly, they have just given the biggest advertisement and the best endorsement possible for these techniques/apps.

[self_driven]

Meanwhile in Delhi:

[avira_tk]

Enforcement of speed limits is just a racket, Kerala is a prime example. Describing as illegal, the use of an app to avoid it is the same as calling 80c tax exemption as evasion.

Do what you can to avoid getting a record, the government doesn't care for your safety or time, the complaint is not about over speeding, but less fines collected, just money and nothing else.

[binand]

Originally Posted by windrider

Let them ban it from the Play Store. I will download the obb file from Google and install it. As long as the govt doesn't say it is illegal, I have no moral dilemma in using it.

But as far as I know these apps use crowdsourced data - so with such a ban in place, data collection will suffer and so will their utility to you and other users?

My thinking always has been that if the purpose of speed cameras and interceptors is speed control, then even if the drivers slow down that is achieved. But if the purpose is revenue augmentation, then zero sympathy with the government.

[DicKy]

They should be happy for the drop in speeding cases. Unless ofcourse, the drop in revenue is hurting them.

An idea, dear authorities. Either drop the speed limits altogether for more safety. Or try to find new avenues like errant lane driving, right lane hoggers, overloading, minimum speed limit. Because if no law breaking is your goal, you have to keep shifting the goalposts as more and more people abide by the law.

Feels funny they are blaming the illegal apps. I would be rather have someone notified about speed traps ahead and slow down, rather than noticing the speed camera at the last moment and panic braking/slowing down.

[pkulkarni.2106]

While it's funny they're calling the apps 'illegal', I think the issue they're trying to convey is that the people mostly drive above the speed limit and only slow down when they get a warning in these 'illegal' apps.
I suppose only the folks going above the speed limit need to panic brake? And if someone's trailing behind them & adhering to the speed limit need not care, unless of course the person has slowed down significantly.

[deathwalkr]

I have seen official signboards on the highway mentioning speed camera ahead. Would that be helpful to avoid panic braking by surprised motorists? But then that would mean, motorists do look at highway signs in the first place!

Overspeeding is against the law and as such I see no fault in being fined for it. But I do wish road rules and traffic enforcement was much more comprehensive with regards to all vehicles and the blatant flouting of many sensible norms.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by pkulkarni.2106

While it's funny they're calling the apps 'illegal', I think the issue they're trying to convey is that the people mostly drive above the speed limit and only slow down when they get a warning in these 'illegal' apps.
I suppose only the folks going above the speed limit need to panic brake? And if someone's trailing behind them & adhering to the speed limit need not care, unless of course the person has slowed down significantly.

The problem is that the process may not give any leeway for calibration errors like a plus-minus 5-10 kph. Technically if it observes a speed of 101 kph even for a few seconds, you are facing a hefty fine.

[007maverick]

Safety first !! and from this perspective it's important to maintain a speed limit on Highways. Speed guns and Challans for those who violate the limits is with the assumption that people will feel emotional pain while paying for Challans and they will subsequently start following the rules.

I had an opportunity to be at the data centre of the Company that has installed the Cameras & software on Pune-Mumbai expressway. It's absolutely wonderful to see how the AI tracks each and every vehicle on the road, cameras detect their speed and even closely monitor driver & co-driver for seat belts etc.

While entering Pune from Katraj, they have now installed Speed Alerts which indicate the speed of each vehicle on a big screen, and subsequently there is a speed gun camera installed. The driver gets time to adjust the speed This is very welcoming !!

However what I don't understand is a logic for a speed limit of 50 kmph on some of the Ghat decent (ex when you are crossing Lonavala). While the intent might be right i.e. to get the vehicle speed reduced to prevent collisions, it's impossible to maintain that kind of a speed on very steep decent even you get into 1/2 gear. In fact there is a higher chance of someone coming from the back and bang the front vehicle going at 50kmph. Authorities should take a note of it.

Irrespective whether you use a App or not, avoid over speeding. 80-100 is a good top end limit on Indian Highways which is best for Safety and very best for Mileage & long life of the car. I bet you will not be more than few minutes behind the guy who goes with 120+ speed. Bonus is that everytime you are insuring yourself !! When you are driving at around 80- 100 kmph by maintaining a safe distance, you can plan and strategies lot of things ex.which lane to choose for toll both, setting a perfect speed for Cruise etc.

Give it a try !!

[binand]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

The problem is that the process may not give any leeway for calibration errors like a plus-minus 5-10 kph.

Think of the limit as arrived at after correcting for calibration error.

[antz.bin]

I have no problems with keeping within a reasonable range of the speed limit IF the speed limit itself is scientifically determined and is apt for the design of the road. Road design can be used to keep everyone under the speed limit without the need of cameras or interceptors but don't tell this to the Indian road designers.

I need an app that helps me avoid fines when:
1. The speed limit suddenly drops to 50 on an Expressway.
2. If there are conflicting speed limit sign boards (80 and 100 boards 10 meters from each other)
3. Interceptors camp at the end of downhill sections where the most drivers unknowingly slightly exceed the speed-limits due to gravity and the only way to avoid it is to either actively downshift to use engine braking or ride the brakes and heat them up risking brake fade or worse.

Instead of celebrating that over speeding incidents have reduced by 4%, the authorities are worried that people have found a way to avoid fines. WOW! Just WOW!

P.S.: I am so used to #3 above that I exclusively overspeed only on uphill sections overtaking slower-climbing traffic left, right and centre. Once all the overtaking is done, I can back off on the downhill driving well within the speed limit while coming down. The problem here is that I have to do it consciously when the road design should have made me do it subconsciously.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

As per an article in TOI - Pune edition, an excerpt from the article:

The Highway Safety Patrol’s Pune unit reported close to 4% drop in cases of speeding last year compared to 2022 on the 54km Pune-Mumbai Expressway stretch from Kiwale exit to-Amrutanjan Point, but its officials attributed it largely to the use of illegal cellphone applications by motorists to circumvent speed cameras and interceptor vehicles, besides blocks undertaken for repair works.

https://epaper.indiatimes.com/articl...005_toipuc_TOI

To an extent, I do agree to the point where people slow down suddenly when nearing the cameras or when they see an Interceptor, while caring two hoots of the vehicle behind them. Couple of months back had a scary incident when an Alto in front of me applied its brakes suddenly on seeing an Interceptor to reduce speed. Since I had maintained a safe distance I was able to brake safely.

Since the govt is on an app banning spree, would apps like Radar Bot or Waze face the music?

What is illegal in using an app which shows you where the speed camera's are? These apps like radar bot or waze tell you well in advance like 300-400 meters before the speed camera which is ample time and has no sudden braking involved.

Are they calling it illegal because their loot is reducing?

No government in their right minds would have a speed limit of 50 on a downslope near Lonavala on the expressway and place a speed camera there and call it 'safety for the public initiative', its plain money making gimmick.