REPORT: D.C. police chief says drivers who use iPhone to find speed traps are “cowardly”

July 18, 2009

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Government/Legal, Tech

D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier, frustrated that iPhone technology is one step ahead of the red-light and speed cameras in her jurisdiction, has announced that those who use their hand-held electronic devices are “cowardly” and “…are going to get caught” in one way or another.

The subscription-based software that has Lanier shaking her fists and blurting out names is called PhantomAlert. In a nutshell, its GPS-enhanced database of law enforcement “points of interest” mimics alarms similar to those common to radar detectors (remember, radar detectors are already illegal in Virginia and D.C.). Drivers are alerted to approaching speed traps and pic enforcing locations on in their iPhone, or portable GPS units, enabling them time to slow down.

Not surprising when you take into account that the greater D.C. area is home to nearly 10 percent of all traffic cameras in the U.S., according to experts. Chief Lanier is frustrated that the innovative technology is “designed to circumvent law enforcement — law enforcement that’s designed specifically to save lives.” What Lanier seems to be forgetting is that attentive drivers using PhantomAlert will be slowing down at all 290 enforcement zones… saving countless lives in the process.

[Source: Washington Examiner, Photo by Michael Harley]

REPORT: D.C. police chief says drivers who use iPhone to find speed traps are “cowardly” originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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