As smartphones become more sophisticated, the apps to help you avoid speed traps get better too. This means that separate devices become less necessary, but might be preferred by some drivers. Come on Saphe, please speed up both this critical update and the time it takes to update other areas of your database (eg. the M4 Slough area average speed road works were removed weeks ago and yet the database is still claiming it’s 50mph when it’s not. Pretty annoying after 20minutes of false alerts... The Saphe brand of speed camera detectors are particularly compact and unobtrusive, which means you can easily position them in a convenient place. The Saphe Drive Mini Speed Camera Detector is palm-sized and provides a safe and reliable way to get real-time information on road accidents, speed cameras and obstacles that could obstruct your journey.

Key specs – Size: ‎75 x 40 x 60mm; Cameras detected: Fixed and mobile, traffic light, variable and average speed; Updates: OTA; Power source: Rechargeable battery; Accessories supplied: Mains plug, USB adapter, USB cable, dash mount The best thing about all the Saphe products is that there’s no ongoing subscription fee. Most other camera alert devices have monthly or yearly fees with them.The award-winning Saphe One+ Speed Camera Alarm, for example, starts up automatically with your car and allows you to tailor the traffic alerts to your exact needs. The system collects traffic data from over 8 million motorists in Europe, works throughout Europe itself, and will alert you about any accidents, hazards or dangers ahead that might hamper your journey. The compact unit takes a feed directly from Highways England to deliver real-time speed limit information across the nation’s smart motorway network – an exceptionally useful feature for the long-distance driver. No less appealing is its ability to calculate your average speed between two average speed cameras, so you can slow down if you’ve inadvertently crept up over the limit. The 2.4in screen is clear and crisp, and it’s possible to tailor the alerts to what’s most important to you, while the mount offers an excellent level of adjustability to ensure the screen is always in view. Key specs – Size: 60 x 36 x 15mm; Cameras detected: Fixed and mobile, traffic light, average speed; Updates: OTA; Power source: Rechargeable battery; Accessories supplied: Adhesive pads, mounts

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, and we look forward to serving you better in the future. I have since switched to using CamSam PLUS (an Android app), which works flawlessly and costs very little. In fact I think Saphe bought their UK speed camera database from CamSam so you get the exact same speed cameras! Interestingly I still get warned about the same camera on the parallel road, but CamSam handles it correctly and doesn't crash. I'm finding CamSam (on the phone screen) plus Waze (on the car screen via Android Auto) to be a good combination. They don't conflict with each other and I get warned about all fixed cameras (through CamSam and optionally Waze) and mobile cameras (through Waze). The reason for not using Waze alone is that it only warns about cameras if you're actively speeding, so it's theoretically possible to accidentally speed up and go through one without having been warned. You can change the time before you’re alerted on the accident and congestion alerts, but the speed camera ones remain fixed. If you spot a speed camera, press the blue button on the right, with a camera icon. Simply, this warns others behind you that they should probably slow down. I have asked Saphe about this data limitation via their support and they answered in about 36 hours. They replied;The crisp display clearly shows the type of camera you’re approaching, your distance to it, plus the speed limit. Helpfully, it can also provide an early warning if you’re coming up to a broken-down car, accident or other dangers. Two buttons on the unit allow you to report an accident or a new camera location, and with Saphe’s claimed community of 11m users across Europe plus over-the-air (OTA) updates, it should provide excellent coverage. You are allowed to use a radar detector under UK law. There were mutterings from the government that they could be banned, but no legislation has been presented so far.

I expected it would display speed limits if not all the time, when I exceed and/or when it alerts to speed cameras... it doesn't. Or at least not for the ghost mobile cameras I have entered to test. The device switches on automatically when it senses motion, so usually, getting into your car is enough to wake it up, or closing your door will do it.What it can't do well at all however, as least in the UK, is mobile speed traps. It relies on other users pressing a button to record the location of a speed trap in much the same way that Waze relies on other Waze users to report them. The difference is that Waze has absolutely loads of users and Saphe seemingly has very few. So in reality Waze almost always knows about a mobile speed trap and Saphe almost never does. If only Saphe could tap in to Waze's data. You can also use the Saphe Link to show you your progress, like Google Maps, or show upcoming warnings. Which I don’t really get, as if you buy the Saphe One+, you’ll be alerted, so why do you also need to see the cameras on your phone?

In the UK, it’s perfectly legal to use a speed camera detector, although it’s a subject that often comes up for debate in Parliament. Nevertheless, while detectors – units that alert the driver to speed traps – can be used, radar jammers are strictly forbidden. Drivers using a jammer could be charged with perverting the course of justice, a crime that can carry a custodial sentence and/or a large fine. Can I use a speed camera detector abroad?

So, why not add a speed camera detector to your car today and see what benefits it can bring to your daily drives?