Speed limit in the navigation cockpit: sign and red speed number

The sign next to your speed

As soon as you start a navigation, a round sign with a white disc and a red ring sits next to the speed display in the cockpit. The number on it is the limit of the road you are on. It changes along the route whenever the limit changes. The speed display stays visible when you stand still, at a red light it reads 0 km/h, and the sign stays in place.

Red number from 3 km/h over

Your speed is the large number in the cockpit. If you are more than 3 km/h over the limit, it turns red. The 3 km/h are a buffer so that jitter in the GPS speed does not make the number flicker. Back in the allowed range, it returns to normal.

Where the limit comes from and when it is missing

The limits come from OpenStreetMap map data. When the route is calculated, the app asks for them through DriveBattle's own servers. On minor roads the data often holds no limit, and on motorway sections without a limit there is none to show. In both cases the app shows no sign and does not guess a number. If the app calculates the route offline on the device (offline navigation), the limit lookup does not run, so no sign appears either.

Kilometers or miles

Under Settings, General, Units you choose Auto, km or mi. Auto follows the region of your phone, in the USA and the UK the app shows miles. The sign rounds miles to steps of 5, because signs there only exist in steps of 5. A 90 km/h limit then reads 55, not 56. The setting changes the display only.

In the car with Android Auto

With Android Auto the display in the car shows your speed together with the speed limit sign, during navigation and in the start view without a destination, as long as the limit is known. Phone and car follow the same rule. In the car, more than 10 km/h over the limit turns the background of the badge red. Android Auto is part of Premium.

Speed limit and XP

For every kilometer you drive within the allowed speed you earn 1 bonus XP. Up to 9 km/h over the limit still counts as allowed. Only the upper bound counts: driving slowly or standing in a traffic jam costs nothing. Stretches without a limit in the map data do not count. The XP rule runs separately from the red number in the cockpit.

What it costs

The speed limit sign and the red number in the cockpit of the phone app are not Premium features. The car display through Android Auto is Premium. The traffic sign at the roadside always takes precedence. This page describes the Android app.

Frequently asked questions

Which navigation app shows the speed limit?

DriveBattle for Android shows the speed limit of the current road as a round sign next to your speed during navigation, as soon as the limit is in the map data.

When does the speed number turn red?

When you are more than 3 km/h over the limit. In the car through Android Auto, the background of the badge turns red from more than 10 km/h over.

Why does the app show no sign on some roads?

The map data holds no limit there, which is common on minor roads, or the road has no limit. DriveBattle then shows no sign and does not guess a number. With offline navigation the limit lookup does not run either.

Does the app show miles per hour too?

Yes. Under Settings, General, Units you choose Auto, km or mi. The sign rounds miles to steps of 5.

Is the speed limit available in Android Auto too?

Yes, the car display shows speed and speed limit during navigation and in the start view without a destination, as long as the limit is known. Android Auto is part of Premium.

Does the speed limit sign cost anything?

Not in the cockpit of the phone app, it is not a Premium feature. Android Auto is Premium.