Imagine a world in which any road user, whether driving a car, riding a bike or just walking, could report bad driving on the spot, and that info would be relayed to the MOT, insurance companies and police departments.
Well, it’s a reality with the DriveMeCrazy app for Apple’s iPhone.
Released last Wednesday, this free app is designed to allow users to voice the license plate number of any vehicle they believe to be driven erratically or dangerously into their iPhones, ‘flag’ the vehicle and send a report of the offenses to the proper authorities.
The driver of a flagged vehicle is also sent a "virtual" ticket (by which means is not stated) advising them where and when they were flagged and for what reason.
The information is forwarded to insurance companies, the Ministry of Transportation and local law authorities, however, it is not used to write real tickets and insurance companies do not use it to determine insurance rates — at least not yet.
Users of this app are assured anonymity, and they can share their flagged vehicles on Twitter and Facebook. The info is also fed into a database that can be accessed by registered users through the DriveMeCrazy website.
Users can also flag motorists as "good" and send messages or request contact info.
DriveMeCrazy developers claim that their system carefully monitors activity "across the service" and is supposed take down malicious or erroneous flags.
And you thought you just needed to watch out for cops.
iPhone apps are dangerous. Look at this http://blogs.wsj.com/wtk-mobile/
This is so ill conceived that it will go nowhere.
Imagine reporting the premier’s licence, or the chief of police of your town, or maybe a local ambulance, add in a pizza delivery and a cabbie and the entire system will crash. How ’bout the neighbour with the barking dog, the guy who plows his snow onto your drive and, oh yeah, that perennial favorite, your boss, that SOB….
“Users can also … send messages or request contact info.”
Looks like pretty girls are going to be swamped with unwanted messages and come-ons from every sweaty creep who sees them driving around. And they can’t even opt out of the service.
This is a horrible idea.
This idea stinks on so many levels it’s not funny.
Bad idea; bad.
I have reported maybe 3 drivers in 40 years and only because I thought it was serious enough that I would wait on hold, repeat my personal information and get a call back from the authorities or employer. Having anonymous snitching at your fingertips that goes to insurance companies? C’mon.
This is a HORRIBLE idea!! This sounds like something that would have happened in Eastern Germany or Russia before the Iron Curtain came down.
No, I don’t think I’m being over dramatic either!!
This is the start of a culture of paranoia and fear, and for what, because some guy was driving a little too fast or popping a wheelie!!
What about personal freedom and the right to be anonymous! What next, are we going to have to report who we’ve voted for??
This is something I would be worried about if it ever gets implemented.
So if you live in a province with distracted driver laws, does the use of this app not also make you subject to a claim? I assume most drivers would have to keep up with the offender to transcribe the license plate number while using the app. As such, everyone is guilty.
Wow, talk about slippery slopes… :eek
How long before some start using it as a personal attack device? Divorced? Watch out for this app… 🙁
Even if someone is trying to use it properly, just because you feel someone has done something wrong doesn’t mean they are violating any laws other than your own personal ones…as much as I would like to be able to report the “retard” drivers, I’m not totally sure I would know where the line is…
Later.