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Trapster smartphone app warns drivers about cops

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part of Car Deal Expert’s historical archive. The UK car-finance, insurance and used-car landscape has moved on since this was published. For our latest coverage, explore our Car Finance, Car Insurance, Buying Guides and News sections.

Originally published 2017-06-09T18:42:36+00:00. This article is part of the CarDealExpert historical archive — see our latest UK car-finance, insurance and used-car coverage in the menu above.

Drivers who just don’t see the whole “don’t speed” option as a viable way to avoid getting speeding tickets, rejoice. Lead-footed, smartphone-owning drivers probably already have Trapster, but the new, improved Trapster is coming out Tuesday. The free smartphone app still maps out and shows drivers the location of live police speed traps, red light cameras, speed cameras, and popular spots where police hide, but now it does more.

Trapster has always given users the option of logging trip info and disseminating it to the masses via Twitter and Facebook. The new Trapster does this, too. It also lets you access your music files and sync Bluetooth devices up with your car speakers to get audio alerts. I think the audio alerts feature is a great improvement because that’s a lot safer than looking at your phone while driving.

Trapster helps you keep your record clean

Of course, it can’t be glossed over that Trapster helps people break the law. So I must go on record as saying that drivers should always be responsible and safe. If you use Trapster so you can speed or commit other driving infractions, you’ll avoid a ticket, but Trapster can’t keep you from getting hurt or hurting someone else.

Tickets are expensive, and they can cause your insurance rates to go up. However, the reason for such stiff penalties really comes back to keeping roads safe, so don’t use Trapster as an excuse to drive like an idiot.

Use Trapster maps

Other new Trapster features that are very useful and completely without controversy are the rotating maps and traffic maps. Rotating maps will show you your position in real time, and the rotating part makes it so the map changes direction when you do. As a person who gets lots easily, I think that is a great feature.

As you can probably guess, the traffic maps show what the traffic is like at that moment in certain areas. Who wants to sit in traffic if she doesn’t have to? Not this girl. I’ve done enough sitting in traffic to last me the rest of my life, so I’m definitely going to download Trapster as soon as I take care of the minor detail of getting a smartphone.
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