Most cars of yesteryear felt like they were going to disintegrate as soon as you hit 50mph, the orchestra of shakes, rattles and other worrying noises usually enough to ensure you remained hyperaware of your speed without having to glance at the dash.
However, with motors these days offering true comfort and soundproofed interiors, it’s little wonder you break the speed limit occasionally (what do you mean, every day?).
Drivers using traffic and navigation app Waze will now be warned when they breach a speed limit, a handy feature that’ll complement its existing crowd-sourced service that notifies drivers when cops are close by.
In a blog post Tuesday, the Waze team explained its new feature: “Whether you’re driving on new and unfamiliar roads or a place where speed limits change with the season, you’ll no longer be in the dark.
“To see speed limits you don’t need to change a thing. If you’re driving over the limit, a visual alert will appear on the Waze speedometer. It will stay there until your speed drops below the limit.”
Road users can customize the alert so that it shows the moment you hit the speed limit, or when you exceed it by 5, 10, or 15 percent.
Other navigation apps have included speed alerts for some time now, so Waze is right to finally roll out the feature. However, Google, which acquired Waze three years ago, doesn’t yet include the functionality in its Maps app.
Waze offers other safety features for users, including hands-free, voice-controlled settings so you can focus on the road ahead while keeping both hands on the wheel. You’ll also find push notifications offering updates on unusual conditions on your route, and audio alerts for street names.
The new speed warning functionality rolls out today in 18 countries, including Brazil, France, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland. Waze promises it’s “coming soon” to the U.S. as well as the rest of the world.
