How to Avoid Speed Traps With Your Cell Phone
It's been a cat and mouse game between speeders and police for decades. When cops started using radar, speeders got detectors. When citizens band radio boomed in the 1970's, truckers began to warn each other about speed traps by calling out "Smokey in the Bush." Today, thanks to the fusion of the Internet with mobile communications, it is possible to avoid speed traps with your cell phone.
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Instructions
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Understand that for many local governments, speed traps can be a major source of revenue. I vividly remember being pulled over in Canada while I was a college student driving my little German sports car. Justice was administered on the spot. I could either pay in cash then and there, or as U.S. Citizen, spend the night in jail awaiting trial. I paid, along with several others in line behind me, and went on my way.
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Saying that, realize that it's natural if you have a good car and an open road that you might want to open it up. Most cars today can comfortably go 80 MPH, a speed that could land you a ticket in all 50 states. Long gone are the days when I drove across Nevada at over 100 MPH. Then there was no speed limit between towns. Safety is paramount when driving, but given how expensive speeding tickets have become, read the next step for a great way to avoid them.
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Begin by logging on to trapster.com (see Resources below). The site is the brain child of California Inventor Pete Tenereillo. He has established a social network that helps members sidestep speeding tickets. Download the software that he has developed to your cell phone. Most new phones have a USB port that will connect with your computer, so simply follow the instructions.
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If you are driving and notice an officer with a speed gun, or even a automatic red light camera, hit #1 on your cell phone. Since cell phone towers can calibrate your location, your alert will be relayed to other members. As they approach, they'll be warned with an audio file, calling "Live police! Live police!" If your phone has the capability of displaying a map, you can actually get live alerts of potential traffic traps where you are driving.
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If you drive without a live cell phone, you can also log onto the site after you get home and record your observations. Simply double click on the map and drag the marker that you've created to zero in on the law enforcement location.
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For the network to work as intended, it has to reach a critical mass of members. Tenereillo won't release figures on how many members he has. However, he does claim to have a very high percentage of tipsters, whose credibility is rated by their peers. Tenereillo's efforts are a public service for those of us who are fond of fast cars. He has eschewed advertising at Trapster, since he's done well from his previous gig at Cisco Systems.
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Tips & Warnings
This site will not work with all cell phones, so if you have an older model, you might want to see if you can qualify for a free upgrade by extending your contract.
