I’m actually convinced one of our local PDs uses Waze to post false police traps. We have a very busy intersection with no traffic light and a stop sign for only one of the roads. Speed limit is 30 and when people are going 30 the people trying to turn left onto the main road usually have enough room to do so. Traffic doesn’t back up too much. But if the main road traffic is a bit fast then those people never have a chance to sneak out and traffic on the side road backs up like crazy.

Anyhow recently Waze shows 2 police traps at the intersection every morning. Never a police car there. But traffic moves under the speed limit and traffic backups aren’t bad.

quote:

Originally posted by pessimist:
LINK

In a letter demanding that Waze remove the function that enables drivers to see police locations, the corrupt and sneaky little bastards at the NYPD decided to approach this by highlighting DWI Checkpoints. They’re clearly using this approach in an attempt to get public support on their side. And it will probably work. When the question of DWI Checkpoints is brought up on this forum occasionally, a good portion of the members are fine with them. Many people don’t have an issue with LE violating people’s rights by stopping cars wholesale without cause.

Anyway, the real issue is that they’re also looking to block the sharing of “similar data”. They didn’t fool me about their true intention and, apparently, they’re not fooling Google either. Googles response: "We believe that informing drivers about upcoming speed traps allows them to be more careful and make safer decisions when they're on the road."

Knowing police are ahead inherently makes the roads safer - this is a revenue issue for NY

I seem to recall that at least one federal court has determined that flashing your headlights to alert other drivers to police presence is constitutionally protected speech. I don't see how this would be any different.

quote:

Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:
I seem to recall that at least one federal court has determined that flashing your headlights to alert other drivers to police presence is constitutionally protected speech. I don't see how this would be any different.

And I've heard stories, also apocryphal, that people have been lit up for doing that. Again (if true), that goes back to revenue generation, not safety.

The same NYPD who tried to bury the MS-13 subway shooting in advance of Trump's SOTU? Yeah as far as I'm concerned the higher ups that thought of this can sit on it and rotate, counterclockwise.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Wouldn't it be a 1A issue restricting peoples freedom of speech to not allow them to post the information...

You would think...

In Tennessee it's legal to flash you headlights to warn oncoming traffic of LEO, speed traps etc. TN Code sites 1A as the basis.
Don't see much difference in using WAZE to do the same.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
What is old is new again:

Recall back in the 1970's when the 55 MPH national speed limit was enacted, several police agencies requested to make CB radio "Smokey Reports" illegal per FCC rules. Didn't happen.

IIRC so-called "Smokey Reports" were already covered, at the time, under the prohibition against using the service for "broadcasting."

quote:

If the goal is to reduce violations, then obviously the information should be shared far and wide. It's only an issue if your goal is to generate revenue.

And that sums it up right there, just like the red light cameras that were installed to prevent collisions. Just another NY cash grab. Scumbags.

And here's another one. I have done some driving for Uber and Lyft in the last six months. Plenty of riders are suspended for DUI and thus stuck taking Uber or Lyft, often to their weekly piss tests. I think there are a whopping two locations in the entire Phoenix area for these piss tests, obviously very far from many people's houses. One of the rides I gave was $35 one way and he had to go there once a week. It's like the state doesn't want anyone to be able to go to some lab near their house and wants to tempt them to drive while suspended.

And some of these guys have told me of some very shaky cases, the kind any first year lawyer should have been able to get reduced to a lesser charge, at worst. But they said all DUI defendants have the book thrown at them now, are given zero quarter, no deals, because Uber and Lyft have cut too much into the DUI revenue stream the city and state rely on.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
I’m actually convinced one of our local PDs uses Waze to post false police traps. We have a very busy intersection with no traffic light and a stop sign for only one of the roads. Speed limit is 30 and when people are going 30 the people trying to turn left onto the main road usually have enough room to do so. Traffic doesn’t back up too much. But if the main road traffic is a bit fast then those people never have a chance to sneak out and traffic on the side road backs up like crazy.

Anyhow recently Waze shows 2 police traps at the intersection every morning. Never a police car there. But traffic moves under the speed limit and traffic backups aren’t bad.

I've noticed that other drivers report "Police" anytime they see one on the road. Waze says Police and when I get there it's an LEO with someone pulled over on the other side of the road. Many times there is no LEO when I get to where he/she is reported to be - which to me says they were moving down the road and someone reported to Waze.

Aren't there already laws about using your phone while driving? How do you legally use Waze while driving? I've never used it, so I don't know.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Aren't there already laws about using your phone while driving? How do you legally use Waze while driving? I've never used it, so I don't know.

It's a navigation app. A navigation app you couldn't use while driving wouldn't be terribly useful, would it?

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Aren't there already laws about using your phone while driving? How do you legally use Waze while driving? I've never used it, so I don't know.

Mine is displayed on my "radio" screen in the center console. My phone is plugged into a USB port and stored out of reach. No different than having your car's built in navigation up on the screen. Except, this one tells me exactly where/when a police car is ahead.

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Aren't there already laws about using your phone while driving? How do you legally use Waze while driving? I've never used it, so I don't know.

Mine is displayed on my "radio" screen in the center console. My phone is plugged into a USB port and stored out of reach. No different than having your car's built in navigation up on the screen. Except, this one tells me exactly where/when a police car is ahead.

Right, but the only way it knows the police are there is because other people have used their phone to flag that spot. Isn't that how Waze knows?

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:
I seem to recall that at least one federal court has determined that flashing your headlights to alert other drivers to police presence is constitutionally protected speech. I don't see how this would be any different.

And I've heard stories, also apocryphal, that people have been lit up for doing that. Again (if true), that goes back to revenue generation, not safety.

Illegal in my state (Iowa) to have your high beams on for any length of time within 1000 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 400 feet when approaching a vehicle from the rear, regardless of the intent, and it has nothing to do with punishing people for warning them about the police.

As far as "revenue generation," a citation for failure to dim in Iowa is $100.50 ($30 fine, $10.50 criminal surcharge, $60 court cost.) If an officer writes that under state code and a person pays the fine, my agency/city gets none of it. Not a single penny. If written under city code, the city (general fund, not the PD) gets 90% of the fine only, not the surcharge or court cost. So, in this case, the city general fund gets a whopping $27.

If they enter a not guilty plea and go to court, the city pays me about $100.00 just to show up, and if it's a city charge, they probably pay the city attorney at least that much to prosecute it.

At least in Iowa, traffic enforcement is a money pit for the agency.

I love using Waze. Whenever a coworker is setup to do speed, I drive by and mark their location on Waze. If I park somewhere near the street to write a report, I will report myself to Waze.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Aren't there already laws about using your phone while driving? How do you legally use Waze while driving? I've never used it, so I don't know.

Mine is displayed on my "radio" screen in the center console. My phone is plugged into a USB port and stored out of reach. No different than having your car's built in navigation up on the screen. Except, this one tells me exactly where/when a police car is ahead.

Right, but the only way it knows the police are there is because other people have used their phone to flag that spot. Isn't that how Waze knows?

Yes it knows from users marking the spots. I touch the car's nav/radio screen to do so. I never have to handle the phone. Yes though, without that you have to hold the phone and touch the phone's screen.

quote:

Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:
I seem to recall that at least one federal court has determined that flashing your headlights to alert other drivers to police presence is constitutionally protected speech. I don't see how this would be any different.

... scroll down to the US and then find your state (not all are listed)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...lashing#cite_note-63

Snip:
In Tennessee, flashing headlights to warn oncoming traffic of a police car ahead is protected free speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
I love using Waze. Whenever a coworker is setup to do speed, I drive by and mark their location on Waze. If I park somewhere near the street to write a report, I will report myself to Waze.

Yep. Me too! I always list my location when I'm out writing tickets. I wished more people would use waze it would make my day much better.

quote:

Originally posted by pessimist:
Many people don’t have an issue with LE violating people’s rights by stopping cars wholesale without cause.

Add me to the long list of people who are fine with sobriety checkpoints.

Driving is a privilege, not a right, and drunk drivers continue to be a menace on the roads. They should be found and prosecuted to the absolute full extent of the law. A checkpoint to verify sobriety is not a bad thing, nor is it an invasion of privacy or right.

One can't complain of an invasion of privilege.

One can't have it both ways.

There's a more simple solution. Don't drive impaired.