What is a speed camera database used for?

What is a speed camera database?

A speed camera database is a collection of geographic co-ordinates of known traffic cameras. Each camera location in a speed camera database is stored as a POI or "Point of Interest", POI is a specific geographic point normally used in a GPS navigation system that someone might find useful or interesting. In addition to the standard information that a POI contains extra data is included for items such as the camera type, speed limit and camera direction.

How do I use the data from a speed camera database?

Nearly all GPS navigation systems like those from Garmin, iGo or Tomtom permit users to load personal POI's to their device to substitute or supplement the existing POI. Each manufacturer has their own specific format and tools for adding and editing POI's. However one thing they all have in common is that they include a special POI category just for speed cameras. POI's added to this category will usually have additional options available like displaying both audible and visual warnings when approaching these locations. This is where those extra fields of data included in the speed camera database are important.

Once added to your GPS navigation device, the immediate advantage you gain is that you will receive advanced warning when approaching known speed, redlight and radar speed trap locations. Usually a stand-alone radar detector device to accomplish this costs hundreds of dollars, while this is a free add-on for GPS navigation device owners. This can be of great benefit to those who often exceed the speed limit whilst driving as it can help to avoid traffic tickets or it can alert you to the potential of erratic hard braking by other drivers.

Where to download a speed camera database?

Many websites exist that specialize in the collection, verification and distribution of POI's, few have a speed camera database available, these can be readily found by typing search terms such as "speed camera database" or "speed camera POI". Many or most collections online are commercial and can cost between $10 and $40 per year for a subscription. A free resource that I use frequently is SpeedCameraPOI.com; this is a group of users who contribute to building a speed camera database. As their community grows worldwide the number of reported cameras increases, to date they have POI locations for over 50,000 cameras worldwide. Systems like these are usually self-policing, and missing or inaccurate camera locations are quickly corrected.

Most often the information collected is offered preformatted in popular formats like .gpi, .csv, .txt, .kml for common GPS navigation devices like those offered by Garmin, iGo, Tomtom, etc. You can download the speed camera database files individually containing speed camera or red light camera or mobile radar speed traps location data or you can download a file containing all types.