What’s right: the speed on Google Maps or on the car?
Speedometers on vehicles tend to show different numbers from those on navigation apps
Navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze are more and more common, gaining ground over the navigation systems built into cars by their manufacturers. Using them, you may have noticed that there is a difference between the speed that the car shows and the speed displayed on navigation apps. But why does that occur?
To comply with international norms, speedometers cannot show a speed lower than the car’s actual speed. They tend, in fact, to display a higher number. That’s the main reason why there may be a difference between the speed indicated by the car and the one that appears on navigation apps.
Applications, on the other hand, calculate the speed using the GPS system, which tracks the vehicle’s location over time. That makes the velocity shown on applications much more precise than that of the car.
Therefore, the difference between the car and navigation systems is not due to an error. It has more to do with complying with regulations. If the driver pays attention to the car’s speedometer and respects the road’s speed limits, they should not receive speeding tickets.
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