Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
The integration of police reports has become one of the main incentives for Android and iPhone users to install Waze. The application runs on a crowdsourced engine, allowing users to pin the location of multiple traffic hazards and allow Waze to generate warnings based on the data.
When someone marks the location of a speed trap on Waze, other users running the app and using the same route get a notification that they might encounter a radar.
The feature has long been controversial, with users and authorities divided as to whether it should be allowed in Waze. Some said the police reports make the road more predictable by giving drivers enough time to slow down, while others claimed it helps speedsters to escape without a fine. Authorities in several countries, including France, banned police reports in Waze.
The Sherborn Police Department claims officers aren't bothered with users pinning them on Waze. "You're helping us slow people down," they claim in a recent Facebook post, suggesting that making people reduce speed is why they're there in the first place.
However, the Sherborn Police Department claims that sending a Waze police report also has a dark side. And you probably never thought about it.
The post highlighted two cases when police pulled over cars for minor violations, such as a defective plate light or the rear license plate missing. In both cases, the drivers were dangerous criminals, with the latter being none other than the Oklahoma City bomber.
So why should you stop reporting police on Waze? The Sherborn Police Department says it all comes down to alerting drivers that you have no idea who they are.
"You might be alerting a criminal, serial speeder, or a driver who should never been behind the wheel to begin with of our presence," police say.
In a similar post not long ago, the Ontario Provincial Police praised Waze and even encouraged drivers to report them on the app. If you pin them on the map, you "could help save a life," they said, adding that drivers will slow down, and "that's what we're out here for."
Meanwhile, while Waze is the number one app for police reports, it's not the only app offering similar functionality. Apple has also updated Apple Maps with incident reporting, allowing users to mark the location of speed traps, accidents, and other hazards. The feature is part of the detailed city experience bundled with Apple Maps in certain regions, albeit the rollout is still underway. The broad availability phase hasn't been reached, as Apple needs more time to complete the work on the detailed city experience. Police reports on Apple Maps have started to appear in limited regions, but they're yet to gain as much traction as in Waze.
When someone marks the location of a speed trap on Waze, other users running the app and using the same route get a notification that they might encounter a radar.
The feature has long been controversial, with users and authorities divided as to whether it should be allowed in Waze. Some said the police reports make the road more predictable by giving drivers enough time to slow down, while others claimed it helps speedsters to escape without a fine. Authorities in several countries, including France, banned police reports in Waze.
The Sherborn Police Department claims officers aren't bothered with users pinning them on Waze. "You're helping us slow people down," they claim in a recent Facebook post, suggesting that making people reduce speed is why they're there in the first place.
However, the Sherborn Police Department claims that sending a Waze police report also has a dark side. And you probably never thought about it.
The post highlighted two cases when police pulled over cars for minor violations, such as a defective plate light or the rear license plate missing. In both cases, the drivers were dangerous criminals, with the latter being none other than the Oklahoma City bomber.
So why should you stop reporting police on Waze? The Sherborn Police Department says it all comes down to alerting drivers that you have no idea who they are.
"You might be alerting a criminal, serial speeder, or a driver who should never been behind the wheel to begin with of our presence," police say.
In a similar post not long ago, the Ontario Provincial Police praised Waze and even encouraged drivers to report them on the app. If you pin them on the map, you "could help save a life," they said, adding that drivers will slow down, and "that's what we're out here for."
Meanwhile, while Waze is the number one app for police reports, it's not the only app offering similar functionality. Apple has also updated Apple Maps with incident reporting, allowing users to mark the location of speed traps, accidents, and other hazards. The feature is part of the detailed city experience bundled with Apple Maps in certain regions, albeit the rollout is still underway. The broad availability phase hasn't been reached, as Apple needs more time to complete the work on the detailed city experience. Police reports on Apple Maps have started to appear in limited regions, but they're yet to gain as much traction as in Waze.
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