Daily Blogs News

Four U.S. senators Tuesday called on Apple to yank iPhone and iPad apps that help drunken drivers evade police, saying the programs are “harmful to public safety.”
The CEO of the company, PhantomALERT, that makes one such app said the senators’ demand was “a knee-jerk reaction.”
Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Tom Udall (D-NM) asked Scott Forstall, the head of Apple’s iPhone software group, to pull an unspecified number of apps from the company’s App Store.
“Giving drunk drivers a free tool to evade checkpoints, putting innocent families and children at risk, is a matter of public concern,” the senators said in a letter to Forestall that they released Tuesday. “We hope that you will give our request to remove these applications from your store immediate consideration.”
The four had problems with apps that included alerts of upcoming sobriety checkpoints. It’s unclear how many apps are in the senators’ sights — they identified just one, PhantomALERT — but there are dozens that warn drivers of user-reported speed traps, roving radar-equipped patrol cars and accidents. Many integrate the smartphone’s integrated GPS to display police and accident locations.
Not all pitch their ability to alert drivers of nearby checkpoints, however. One is PhantomALERT.
On its App Store description, the program touts itself as providing “the world’s largest driver generated and verified database of speed traps, red light cameras, speed cameras, school zones, DUI checkpoints, dangerous intersections and more across North America.”
PhantomALERT is produced by a Harrisburg, Penn.-based company of the same name. “I think this is a knee-jerk reaction,” said Joe Scott, the CEO OF PhantomALERT, in an e-mail reply to a request for comment. “PhantomALERT is a 100% legal service. If they really understood what we are doing and aim to achieve they would actually support us.”
Scott argued that his company’s app was doing little more than broadcasting the information distributed by the police themselves.
“Many police departments promote or advertise DUI [driving under the influence] crackdowns through the media as PSAs or through PR,” Scott said. “We are just taking it a bit further and pushing the info to drivers through GPS and smart phone technology. The idea is to deter drivers from drinking and driving. When drivers get alerts for DUI checkpoints on their smart phones and GPS, they will think twice about drinking and driving.”
Other iPhone and iPad apps also boast of their anti-DUI checkpoint skills.
“DUI or DWI [driving while intoxicated] stops are constantly changing whereas many of the red light and speed cameras are fixed positions,” reads the Website. PhantomALERT offers apps for not only the iPhone but also for smartphones running Google ‘s Android. Unlike Google, however, Apple only allows iPhone and iPad users to download sanctioned software from its App Store, giving the senators a single choke point in their demand for the apps’ removal.
Reid, who is the Senate majority leader, joined with Schumer, Lautenberg and Udall to ask Apple to remove the software from the App Store.
Apple did not reply to a request for comment on the senators’ letter.
Lt. Gregg Hastings of the Oregon State Police said that in some instances such apps may be helpful. “We don’t feel one way or the other,” said Hastings, the agency’s public information officer. “If things like these apps increase awareness on the part of drivers to slow down and drive to the signs posted and the conditions, that helps people stay alert and drive safely.”
Hastings, however, said that the Oregon State Police had no opinion on the DUI/DWI aspects of such apps because Oregon law enforcement is not allowed to conduct sobriety checkpoints, having abandoned them more than a decade ago after a state Supreme Court decision ruled them unconstitutional.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association , Oregon is in the minority; 38 states as well as the District of Columbia allow police to run DUI/DWI checkpoints.

OUR RESPONSE?


I think this is a kneejerk reaction. If they really understood what we are doing and aim to achieve they would actually support us.

Why do we provide DUI Check Point alerts?

First of all, many Police department promote or advertises DUI crack downs through the media as PSAs or through PR. We are just taking it a bit further and pushing the info to drivers through GPS and smart phone technology. Actually, many Police departments see us as another way to get the message out to the driving public. The idea is to deter drivers from drinking and driving. When drivers get alerts for DUI check points on their smart phones and GPS, they will think twice about drinking and driving.
For example, Virginia Police support PhantomALERT?

?we are not against them? part of the actual enforcement ?DUI? is the campaign to tell people to stop driving while intoxicated ? and we push out information that says where DUI check points will be and an application that tells you is the same thing we already do.?


Virginia Police :

Watch News: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/mornings/phoneapps/smart-phone-zone-trapster-phantom-apps-031011

Florida Police support PhantomALERT?

It provides an alert, which provides awareness to drivers, which could prevent a red light running situation, which could ultimately cause serious bodily injury or even death,” Bradenton Police Department’s Deputy Chief Jeffrey Lewis said.

http://www.baynews9.com/video?clip=http://static.baynews9.com/newsvideo/bn9/web_video/phantom_alert_0301.f4v

New app helping drivers avoid tickets

A new cell phone and GPS application called the PhantomALERT is now available to …

PhantomALERT is 100 percent legal, and law enforcement supports it…

FLORIDA– A new cell phone and GPS application called the PhantomALERT is now available to help drivers stay alert.

Related posts:

1. Petaluma checkpoints net DUI, drug arrests Published: Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 9:33 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 9:33 a.m. Petaluma police arrested three people for driving under the influence and another driver...
2. Study: Pot Has Little Effect On Driving Study: Pot Has Little Effect On Driving A study from researchers based at Hartford Hospital reveals that marijuana has little effect on the group’s simulated driving skills, but did find...
3. Illegal Aliens Call Drivers Licenses Unfair Illegal Aliens Call Drivers Licenses Unfair From inland inland Southern Californiaa s Press-Enterprise : Sofia Moreno, with United Democrats, holds sign warning drivers of a Perris police checkpoint ahead....