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Austin Makes Another Top Ten List: Most Speed Traps

A screenshot from Trapster, a mobile application that maps speed traps.
Image courtesy trapster.com
A screenshot from Trapster, a mobile application that maps speed traps.

Here in Austin, we’re used to appearing in a ton of Top 10 lists.

But here’s one honor we might not be too excited about: Austin has been named one of ten American cities with the most speed traps.

That’s according to the team at Trapster, a mobile application that aggregates local data to share information about speed traps – areas routinely patrolled by police for speeding tickets. As shown in the screen shot above, the app also notes red light cameras, school zones and more.

The Top 10 roundup was reported by CNBC. Regarding Austin, Trapster product manager Sean Farrell tells CNBC “users have posted on Trapster’s Facebook page that many speed limits drop quickly, and happen to have heavy police ‘speed enforcement’ in those areas.” Houston, Texas takes third place honors, with Los Angeles in second and New York City in first place.

This isn’t the first time Trapster has addressed Austin. The company has actually partnered with the Travis County Sherriff’s Office, who is sharing their locations with the app. While it may seem counterintuitive, officers have said the tool can have the same effect as a ticket – cutting down on speeding.

Wells has been a part of KUT News since 2012, when he was hired as the station's first online reporter. He's currently the social media host and producer for Texas Standard, KUT's flagship news program. In between those gigs, he served as online editor for KUT, covering news in Austin, Central Texas and beyond.
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