Google Maps updates with speed limits to be respected when traveling by car: here's how they work
Already available for some time in other countries, United States but not only, now one of the most requested features of Google Maps arrives in Italy: the indication of the maximum speed limits within the navigator.
The feature is in fact being rolled out in our country, at least on apps for Android devices because there have not yet been reported sightings on iOS apps. However, it won't be long before this feature is available in all Italian apps. The user doesn't have to do anything, except update his app, to know if the speed limits have arrived on his smartphone. On the other hand, at the beginning of February, on Reddit, users from various parts of the world had already started to report the appearance of speed limits on Google Maps.
Google Maps: how speed limits work
The speed limits in Google Maps are displayed when we set a destination and ask for directions to the car. That is, when we start using Maps as a satellite navigator for our travels. From that moment on, at the bottom left of the screen, the speed at which we are traveling appears and next to it the maximum speed allowed on that stretch of road. This, along with the reporting of speed cameras on Google Maps already introduced, allows us to drive safely, without exceeding speed limits and, therefore, without risking fines.
Speed limits on Google Maps: what to watch out for
The arrival in Italy of the indication of the speed limits on a road within the screen of Google Maps is therefore very good news. But be careful: the system has limits. Google Maps, in fact, reports the normal and standard speed limits for the stretch of road we are traveling. It does not report any temporary speed limits, for example due to a construction site. If we have a modern car with driver assistance systems that indicate the maximum speed not to be exceeded, then, these limits could be different from those of Google Maps. And, almost certainly, the car is right and not Maps.
This is because driver assistance systems (at least the most recent ones) establish the speed limit by reading the vertical signs through one or more cameras. Any temporary speed limit, indicated by a mobile road sign, would then be detected by the car but not by Maps. Finally, a last recommendation: the speed limits indicated are always those for passenger vehicles. If you drive a heavy vehicle, you should not trust Google Maps too much.