It’s worth bumping this one to the top of the pile, as it seems that the new-model Fords have speedometers that aren’t completely visible from the passenger seat (the previous model wasn’t much better).
Note: As of April 2013, this app doesn’t work under Android Jellybean.
Note: It appears that it was updated shortly after I wrote the above note, and it works under Jellybean as of October 2013.
The speedometer in my Focus isn’t always completely visible from the passenger seat when I’m on a lesson. The pupil’s hand might be in the way, for example, and this – combined with the cowling over the speedometer – can sometimes be a problem.
Instructors usually get a feel for the speed their car is doing, and can tell by the sound of the engine and just the general momentum whether a pupil is going too fast or not in relation to the speed limit. But sometimes you just need to be able to see what speed they are doing.
To be honest, when we come over the brow of a hill and there is a mobile speed camera sitting there, the last thing I want is to be leaning over saying “what’s the speed limit here?” and miss the damned thing. It hasn’t happened before, and I don’t want it to in future, either!
I’m sure certain pedants out there will be outraged at this admission, Stuff them! Any decent instructor will know that pupils DO go over the speed limit sometimes, and having a full-on Client-centred Discussion (with yoga thrown in) about it isn’t really appropriate right in front of a Gatso!
So, I found this brilliant little app for my HTC Sensation XE. It’s called SpeedView, and there is a free version as well as a pro edition.
It uses the phone’s GPS to give a real-time readout of your speed.
It has a compass, altimeter, accelerometer, and various stats and recording functions. You can export the records as GPX files if you want to.
It works in the car or on foot/on bike. And it is very accurate.
I tried a couple of other speedo apps that came up when I searched the Android Market, but they were absolute rubbish (the primary function of one of them was to crash when you tried to run it). But this one was way down the list – but it is easily the best one I have seen. I tried the free version (with ads on the main screen), but I liked it so much having trialled it all today that I have upgraded to the pro version (it only costs £1.50).
Highly recommended.
I don’t use it quite so much as I used to. When I first decided to upgrade my old Focus it was a little unnerving not being able to see the dials. But you get used to it – although some pupils make it worth switching SpeedView on from time to time.