Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Police forces worldwide are divided on the speed trap report option in Waze, but the Ontario Provincial Police asks users to make the difference between a helpful report and cases when patrol cars should remain unflagged.
The Google-owned navigation app allows drivers to flag the location of police cars on the map, with other users receiving notifications when they approach the marked location.
The Ontario Provincial Police West Region recently turned to social media to tell the world that "police love Waze, too." The officers even asked users to "mark us on the map," claiming that this simple process "could save a life."
Their reasoning is simple. Waze users who see a speed trap on the map will slow down, no longer breaking the limit "at least for the duration of enforcement."
However, Ontario Provincial Police media relations officer Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says it's more important that drivers make a difference between useful reports and those moments when officers on the ground should remain unflagged.
Speaking to the local media, Schmidt explained that Waze reports on highways could help drivers "be more alert," admitting that the feature could help prevent motorists from going over the limit. However, the OPP representative also emphasized that there are moments when reporting police could be "irresponsible."
Think of a ride check or a safety road initiative, as Schmidt says reporting police on Waze could help offenders and criminals avoid law enforcement. Not marking the police location on the map would improve the efficiency of the ride checks, helping law enforcement find other drivers "who may already be impaired."
Eventually, it all comes down to common sense. If you see a speed trap on the side of the road, reporting it on Waze shouldn't be a problem. Most police agencies agree that a police report in Google's navigation app could help improve traffic safety. However, once they perform other duties on public roads, including checks for catching a criminal, marking them on the map could make their job more difficult.
Waze is not the only app that allows users to send police reports and warn motorists of the existence of speed traps. Apple Maps has recently received a Waze-inspired incident reporting, too, so users can mark the location of speed traps from their iPhones and CarPlay. However, Apple Maps sees only lackluster adoption of its traffic reporting system, with most users still turning to Waze for the crowdsourcing capabilities.
Waze has never commented on the police report controversy, but unless local authorities enforce specific restrictions (France banned police reports in navigation apps), the Google-owned company will continue to offer this functionality. Waze is available on iPhone and Android but can also be used on phone mirroring systems bundled with new-generation cars, including Android Auto and CarPlay.
The Ontario Provincial Police West Region recently turned to social media to tell the world that "police love Waze, too." The officers even asked users to "mark us on the map," claiming that this simple process "could save a life."
Their reasoning is simple. Waze users who see a speed trap on the map will slow down, no longer breaking the limit "at least for the duration of enforcement."
However, Ontario Provincial Police media relations officer Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says it's more important that drivers make a difference between useful reports and those moments when officers on the ground should remain unflagged.
Speaking to the local media, Schmidt explained that Waze reports on highways could help drivers "be more alert," admitting that the feature could help prevent motorists from going over the limit. However, the OPP representative also emphasized that there are moments when reporting police could be "irresponsible."
Think of a ride check or a safety road initiative, as Schmidt says reporting police on Waze could help offenders and criminals avoid law enforcement. Not marking the police location on the map would improve the efficiency of the ride checks, helping law enforcement find other drivers "who may already be impaired."
Eventually, it all comes down to common sense. If you see a speed trap on the side of the road, reporting it on Waze shouldn't be a problem. Most police agencies agree that a police report in Google's navigation app could help improve traffic safety. However, once they perform other duties on public roads, including checks for catching a criminal, marking them on the map could make their job more difficult.
Waze is not the only app that allows users to send police reports and warn motorists of the existence of speed traps. Apple Maps has recently received a Waze-inspired incident reporting, too, so users can mark the location of speed traps from their iPhones and CarPlay. However, Apple Maps sees only lackluster adoption of its traffic reporting system, with most users still turning to Waze for the crowdsourcing capabilities.
Waze has never commented on the police report controversy, but unless local authorities enforce specific restrictions (France banned police reports in navigation apps), the Google-owned company will continue to offer this functionality. Waze is available on iPhone and Android but can also be used on phone mirroring systems bundled with new-generation cars, including Android Auto and CarPlay.
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