+ UK Maps For PoiEdit
+ Speed Camera Speech Files
+ Speed Camera POIs

PoiEdit - Download UK Maps

PoiEdit is an excellent Windows based program the lets you download POIs from various sources, synchronise them with your PDA, and view the POIs on a map. Unfortunately it doesn't include a UK map so I've created some for anyone to use. Click on the map you want to download and unzip both the .gif and .inf files to C:\Program Files\PoiEdit\maps or wherever the maps directory is on your PC. The maps are compatible with PoiEdit 3.8 or later.

  • UK (England, Wales, Scotland, part of N.Ireland) 743 Kb
  • UK South (everything south of York) 347 Kb
  • Hertfordshire (central Herts and north London) 379 Kb

The unzipped files are quite big because POI Edit requires uncompressed BMP files. The accuracy of POIs on the UK and UK South maps is not always reliable because of the geographical size of the maps, so only use it as a rough guide. The Hertfordshire map is much more accurate because it covers a lot less land and is more detailed. Sorry I don't have detailed maps for other areas but they're easy to make if you follow the PoiEdit FAQs.

PoiEdit is free but consider making a donation to the author if you wish to say "thank you" for his hard work.

Does the UK have too many speed cameras? Do they reduce the number of accidents on the road? Find out at www.speedcameras.org



Speed Camera Audio Warning Files for TomTom

Do you use TomTom with CheckPOInt, GPSAssist or POI Warner and have a speed camera POI file but no sound files to warn you of approaching cameras? Here's an easy solution. Download this zip file (206Kb) containing the following speech files I created:

  • "Speed camera in 30 seconds"
  • <siren> "Speed camera in 10 seconds"
  • "Limit is 20 miles per hour"
  • Same again for 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 mph
  • "Warning, traffic light camera ahead"
  • "Warning, mobile speed camera in area"
  • "Warning, unidentified speed camera in area"

I know it's an American accent but I couldn't find any decent British accents. I'll add some more when I get time so please bookmark this page.

Have you been caught by speed cameras? Did you know that speeding is the cause of just 7% of all road accidents in the UK? Find out more at www.speedcameras.org



UK Speed Camera POIs

The most complete POI file with over 3000 speed camera location is maintained by Pocket GPS World. Although their database is the most thorough and up to date it doesn't differentiate between the different types of cameras (GATSO, red light, SPECS, mobile, bus lane) or allow your software to advise you of the current speed limit.

If you'd rather be made aware of the type of camera and what the speed limit is then check out POI-Handler which requires a subscription to access POI files for various cameras. I don't know how up to date or complete their database is because I don't have a subscription. (Marcel, this is a hint!) Instead I use CheckPOInt on my PocketPC which downloads POIs for all types of speed cameras from POIplace. It's free to register and to download the POIs. If you want to be sure you don't miss a camera then you can try using camera POIs from both POIplace and Pocket GPS World at the same time.

These speed camera databases only work if users report back on new cameras and update information on incorrectly placed cameras. Please take part and only report accurate information.

Did you know that exceeding the speed limit is the cause of less than 4% of all road accidents in the UK? So why don't the police concentrate harder on preventing the other 96% of accidents? Read more facts and the latest speed camera and road safety news at www.speedcameras.org

To contact me please use the feedback form at www.speedcameras.org

  

What is a POI?

A point of interest is a specific location on a map for a petrol station, a speed camera, a museum, or anything else that may be of interest to you or someone else. To a satellite navigation system a POI is just a navigation point, a single set of coordinates.

What can I do with a POI?

If you have a satellite navigation system you can get it to plot a route to take you to a specific point of interest. Most systems will use POIs so you can ask it to direct you to the nearest bank, cinema, restaurant or hospital. Another use is to alert you of upcoming speed cameras and even warn you if you are driving above the speed limit. It can also tell you what the limit.

How do I get more POIs?

There are lots of free services on the Internet where you can download files containing POIs or synchronise your navigation system to update POIs with new or revised locations. My favourite source is POI-Handler followed by POIplace. The most flexible system for using POIs is a PocketPC (like an iPAQ) with TomTom navigation software plus CheckPOInt, GPSAssist, or POI Warner. You can also manage POIs on your PC using PoiEdit which downloads POIs from the Internet, displays POIs on a map and lets you edit or add POIs.