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Don’t Be Surprised If the Police Send You a Phone Notification to Move Over

The Michigan State Police will send drivers a notification through the Waze app on Android devices and iPhones to let them know they must move over whenever a police car is approaching.
The digital siren to be used by the Michigan police 1 photo
Photo: Michigan state police
The new technology is based on a so-called digital siren, which automatically scans for nearby Waze drivers and sends them a notification so they can know the officers are approaching.

The new technology is automatically activated on a police car when the lights and siren are turned on, and the Michigan police say drivers will be offered a 30 seconds notice to make safer driving decisions.

According to a press release, five different police cars have already been equipped with the new system in the Second, Third, and Sixth districts. Officially called the HAAS Alert Advanced R2V (Responder to Vehicle) system, the new technology could expand to more vehicle in the coming months, depending on how everything works in this new set of tests.

The trial started in January and during the first month alone, nearly 23,000 drivers received such alerts when the police rushed to 330 incidents, according to official stats.

We are always looking for new and innovative ways to increase officer safety,” said Lt. Col. Richard Arnold, commander of the Field Operations Bureau. “This is an excellent example of how the Michigan State Police is contributing to the future of technology and helping to keep our members safe and make Michigan’s roads safer.

The Michigan police complain that without such technology, it’s very difficult for police cars to reach the location of an incident as fast as possible, especially because the time the drivers need to move over slows them down.

Their stats show that last year, no less than 44 cars ended up stuck in traffic despite having their emergency equipment activated, so the other drivers essentially were able to see and hear them when they got closer.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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