The mobile phone app police want you to stop using because it helps motorists avoid cops
It’s the mobile phone app booming in popularity that allows motorists to dodge the police, among other things. Cops in one state aren’t happy.
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Mobile phone app Waze is booming in popularity in Australia, loved by motorists who are encouraged to contribute to its features and alerts.
But police in one state have urged people to stop using the platform, which alerts users to the current locations of speed cameras and patrol cars.
West Australian Police Minister Michelle Roberts said using Waze to dodge authorities was “just stupid” and urged people not to use it while in the car.
While the app itself is legal, touching it when out on the road very likely is not, Ms Roberts told 9 News.
“If you’re entering any information, if you’re touching the screen for example, then you are breaking the law,” Mrs Roberts said.
“How would you feel if you hit a pedestrian, or a kid on a bike, because you were distracted because you were using an app like this?
“Using it to avoid police is just stupid, it’s putting your life at risk, but more importantly it’s putting other road user’s lives at risk.”
Waze has exploded in popularity in Australia in recent times and is rapidly building its user base here.
RELATED: Sneaky tactics used to catch speeding Queensland motorists
Drivers can simply input their destination and follow the prompts without any other engagement, but many choose to add information for others.
Those alerts include traffic, hazard and accident alerts, as well as information to fine-tune routes to allow people to get where they’re going quicker.
And yes, it also extends to tipping off fellow drivers about police traps and mobile and fixed speed camera locations, Waze said.
RELATED: Google grabs maps app Waze for $1 billion
Browsing the app in Sydney in the middle of the day reveals a number of real-time pinpoints of everything from road works to broken down cars, as well as speed and red light cameras.
Waze said its platform harnessed a “community” of drivers who share information to collectively improve the motoring experience for everyone.
“After typing in their destination address, users just drive with the app open on their phone to passively contribute traffic and other road data,” Waze said.
“But they can also take a more active role by sharing road reports on accidents, police, or any other hazards along the way, helping to give other users in the area a ‘heads-up’ about what’s to come.”
Google purchased the app for $1 billion at the end of last year and it seems since then, authorities across the world have stepped up their criticism of its police alert function.
In February, the New York Police Department fired off a cease and desist letter over user-created warnings of drink-driving checkpoints across the city.
Allowing people who might be driving under the influence to avoid potential detection represents a graze public safety danger, the NYPD said.
Originally published as The mobile phone app police want you to stop using because it helps motorists avoid cops