organicmaps
Add setting to (permanently) disable speed camera warnings
⚠ Have you searched for similar, already existing issues? Yes
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
In my legislature (Germany) it is illegal to use a device or app that warns the user about speed cameras.
Describe the ideal solution
Add a setting to disable map markers and TTS warnings for speed cameras, optionally with geofencing for a country. It might also be a good idea to add a mode to permanently disable it and showing the timestamp when it was disabled.
A menu structure could look like this:
"Warn about speed cameras" (selection menu):
- everywhere
- configure per region
- never
If "configure per region" is selected, show a sub menu with the list of (downloaded) map regions and provide a toggle per region.
If "never" is selected in the top level setting or some regions are disabled, provide an extra button to lock the currently disabled regions. This setting should not be resettable without clearing the apps data. There should then also be a "Report" button, that lists all regions that were permanently disabled and the timestamp when they were disabled.
It might also be a good idea to show a popup on launch of the app (that must be acknowledged by the user), that informs the user of these settings and that there are some countries where using it might be illegal.
Describe alternatives you have considered
Most other navigation apps don't allow speed camera warnings while in Germany. There is (as far as I know) no legal way around this problem. The only legal alternative for me that still works with Android Auto would be to keep using Google Maps.
Did you have checked TTS settings, we have an option to disable them.
Sorry for the long response delay.
I found the TTS setting you mentioned, but it does not really solve the underlying legal problem.
To be clear: I'm not a legal expert in any way, but the topic of speed camera warnings comes up often in automotive media and the answer is always pretty clear.
Just having an app installed that is capable of warning the user of speed cameras is illegal, even if the app is not used or (as in this case) the functionality is disabled by the user. Especially as in organic maps the voice prompts might be disabled but the icon on the map is still visible (which still counts as a speed camera warning).
I have seen some apps before that give the option of permanently disabling such functionalities as a legal workaround. I'm not qualified to determine if this actually satisfies the letter of the law, but it seems like a reasonable solution that could potentially be argued in court. That's why I proposed the additional settings.
As it stands, organic maps is the only truly open and offline navigation app I could find (that also works with android auto) and I would really like to be able to use this app legally.
Another German resident here, and I too would love this feature.
As it stands, it is a criminal offence to use smartphone apps containing speed camera databases, per German traffic law.
In general, even having the database available-but-disabled is considered illegal, depending on which cop/lawyer you speak to.
Related issue in OsmAnd OsmAnd solves it by an install-time popup, which triggers a setting. If this setting is enabled, speed camera data is selectively deleted from the local map downloads. (also repeated on map updates) Android: https://github.com/osmandapp/Osmand/issues/7614 iOS: https://github.com/osmandapp/OsmAnd-iOS/issues/1491
Edit to add: I found the 2013 version of the applicable law:
Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO) § 23 Sonstige Pflichten von Fahrzeugführenden ... (1c) Wer ein Fahrzeug führt, darf ein technisches Gerät nicht betreiben oder betriebsbereit mitführen, das dafür bestimmt ist, Verkehrsüberwachungsmaßnahmen anzuzeigen oder zu stören. Das gilt insbesondere für Geräte zur Störung oder Anzeige von Geschwindigkeitsmessungen (Radarwarn- oder Laserstörgeräte). Bei anderen technischen Geräten, die neben anderen Nutzungszwecken auch zur Anzeige oder Störung von Verkehrsüberwachungsmaßnahmen verwendet werden können, dürfen die entsprechenden Gerätefunktionen nicht verwendet werden.
Specifically the last sentence reads: "for other technical devices, which in addition to other purposes, are capable of displaying or disrupting Traffic control measures, these functions are not allowed to be used".
There was apparently an update to this law in 2020, which clarified that a mere "don't show"-setting is insufficient, but I haven't found the original legal source for this yet.
Sanction is €75 fine, and more importantly, a "Flensburg point". 12 of those points, and your driving licence is revoked, so it's a fairly serious offence!
