DriveMeCrazy app provides outlet for virtual tattle-tales

[NewsFeeder]

Filed under: Safety, Technology

We all see bad drivers. Now, one company has developed an iPhone app called DriveMeCrazy, which allows you to digitally jot down a license plate and deem someone a "bad driver." This information isn't then simply posted to some lame social network, it's reported to the DMV and your insurance company.

While the idea of being able to report someone for driving like a jackass sounds great, there's little question that this will lead to abuse. What if someone were out to get you and reported you simply because they felt like it? Perhaps the person who didn't get that parking spot you ended up with is feeling particularly angry. Maybe the other driver didn't see your blinker even though you had it on for the last 15 minutes. This is DrivemeCrazy's inherent flaw.

In addition to empowering virtual snitches, DriveMeCrazy also lets users reward good driving, as well as "flirt" with other DrivemeCrazy users. We now await the first report of a DriveMeCrazy user getting a real ticket for using a mobile device to serve up a cheesy virtual ticket while driving.

[source: DriveMeCrazy via Wired]

DriveMeCrazy app provides outlet for virtual tattle-tales originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Drew Dowdell]

I would sit at the corner of my street and snap EVERY person to runs that freaking stop sign every freaking day!

[SAmadei]

I have some reservations on how this will work. In the screen shot to the left, its showing awards you get for citations... that provides an incentive to report every slightest refraction... I don't like that. Revenge and/or concern for public safety should be the only motivating factors here... providing any more, and you'll have people reporting others for every 1mph over the limit or occasional lane deviance.

I also feel an app like this is going to tend to target casual speeders, as most infractions tend to fall into one's rearview mirror fairly quickly... limiting the time to memorize the license plate... and blatant speeders will fly by so fast, they tend to be hard to catch the license plate. I shutter thinking about some ninny trying to catch up to a speeder doing 100+ while whipping out this app so they can get their virtual "State Trooper" badge.

And I agree this is just likely to lead to abuse. I imagine any DMV is going to just throw these reports in the trash... they can't verify it... they can't verify the driver... and last I checked, the only reputation system any DMV used was points for official traffic citations. OTOH, I fear what insurance companies will do... they might not officially accept the info... but like using your Facebook info against you to deny a claim, I wonder if they would add it as ammo to raise your rates and simply deny they use the information. And yeah, I'm sure every jilting lover, neighbor with uncut grass and local politician who raised the water rate 3 cents is going to get 30 of these a day as their cars sit unused.

I would sit at the corner of my street and snap EVERY person to runs that freaking stop sign every freaking day!

I would imagine a parked car with a camera in it for a day would provide enough clear footage to bring to the township/authorities to get some sort of action on that. At least it would be more effective that this tattler-app.

Edited December 19, 2010 by SAmadei

[Croc]

Yeah, the cyber-bullying implications are very apparent, and then there's the sending it to insurance companies...that's not cool. Sorry, but this has lawsuit written all over it.