Photo: autoevolution
One of the best things about the Google-owned Waze traffic navigation app is that it allows users to send reports about a series of items that drivers could come across along their routes, including potholes, traffic jams, accidents, and police speed traps.
Needless to say, opinions are divided as to whether speed trap reports are a good thing or not. Obviously, some believe they’re useful, while others think they could actually be used by speedsters to avoid getting a ticket.
As far as the police are concerned, being marked on the map isn’t something they particularly care about, it seems. Or at least, that’s what a bunch of police officers, some of them actually verified, explain in an online discussion on the ProtectAndServe subreddit, a place “for discussions on law enforcement and criminal justice cases.”
More specifically, this is the favorite place of users and police officers alike to discuss various topics related to law enforcement, including how they feel about their current position being flagged in Waze.
“Sometimes when I want to eat my food but still be productive I will park in the median and mark myself on Waze so nobody does anything stupid in front of me. Why punish violations when I can prevent them entirely AND eat,” one alleged officer says.
Preventing seems to be the thing many police officers are actually interested in judging from this online discussion, although it goes without saying drawing a general conclusion from just a small number of opinions isn’t really possible.
“Speed enforcement is about getting people to slow down. Mark me on Waze--it helps the goal. Warn other people about my presence by flashing your headlights at them--it helps the goal. Post on FB about a ‘Speed trap on <insert street here’-it helps the goal. I'd put out a flashing neon sign 100 yards in both directs of my setup spot that says ‘Cop running Radar ahead!!’ if they'd let me---it helps the goal,” a verified police officer says.
At the end of the day, it just looks like the police are just fine with you using Waze, although at the same time, keep in mind that tapping the screen to report a speed trap while driving may not necessarily be the best idea.
As far as the police are concerned, being marked on the map isn’t something they particularly care about, it seems. Or at least, that’s what a bunch of police officers, some of them actually verified, explain in an online discussion on the ProtectAndServe subreddit, a place “for discussions on law enforcement and criminal justice cases.”
More specifically, this is the favorite place of users and police officers alike to discuss various topics related to law enforcement, including how they feel about their current position being flagged in Waze.
“Sometimes when I want to eat my food but still be productive I will park in the median and mark myself on Waze so nobody does anything stupid in front of me. Why punish violations when I can prevent them entirely AND eat,” one alleged officer says.
Preventing seems to be the thing many police officers are actually interested in judging from this online discussion, although it goes without saying drawing a general conclusion from just a small number of opinions isn’t really possible.
“Speed enforcement is about getting people to slow down. Mark me on Waze--it helps the goal. Warn other people about my presence by flashing your headlights at them--it helps the goal. Post on FB about a ‘Speed trap on <insert street here’-it helps the goal. I'd put out a flashing neon sign 100 yards in both directs of my setup spot that says ‘Cop running Radar ahead!!’ if they'd let me---it helps the goal,” a verified police officer says.
At the end of the day, it just looks like the police are just fine with you using Waze, although at the same time, keep in mind that tapping the screen to report a speed trap while driving may not necessarily be the best idea.
Google News