Avoid speed traps and red light cameras with this smart phone app.

With data from Trapster.com, your smart phone becomes a mobile traffic center, alerting you blocks in advance about red light cameras and speed traps.

“It’s a community of people who are empowered by reporting traps or getting alerts,“ says Jennifer Van Grove from Trapster.com.

Trapster really is a group effort.  Motorists send in detailed information about a red light camera or a speed trap.

Trapsters paid staff and volunteers check out those tips and rate the credibility of the information.

It’s then added to a very detailed map, viewable on your computer or your smart phone.

Trapster says some police chiefs don’t like this software because their cities make so much money from red-light cameras and speeding tickets.

“I mean, it seems to be motivated by financial interests the city has when in fact the more people that do use Trapster will slow down for those speed traps they set up,“ says Van Grove

Trapster and similar programs can also be used with old-style cell phones that don’t have GPS.

Just enter detailed information about your commute along with your phone number on the website.

Van Grove says, “Specify at which times you are driving that route and so if there are new traps that are on that route, you’ll get a text message alert.  So it works for everybody.“

The same technology may soon bring big improvements in real-time traffic information helping you avoid traffic jams and freeway closures on your daily commute.