According to the NYPD, Waze is not the way to go.
On February 2, 2019, the New York Police Department issued a cease and desist letter to Google’s legal team.
In the New York law enforcement’s notice, they demanded that the multi-billion dollar company stop sharing the locations of DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) checkpoints in its popular navigation app Waze.
Waze, which aims to “outsmart traffic” together with the help of its community, relies heavily on member input for its success.
Drivers, for instance, may report certain information (such as car accidents and heavy traffic) from their phones. This real-time traffic data informs other drivers on the best routes to take.
In light of users reporting DWI checkpoints in Waze, the NYPD has seen fit to request that Google takes the function off the app.
What’s the danger?
According to the NYPD, individuals who post DWI checkpoint locations on the Waze app engage in criminal behavior.
By sharing the locations of law enforcement checkpoints on Waze, the NYPD assumes that the individual in question has de facto repelled any drivers from passing by these locations.
In this manner, anyone — regardless of his or her intention — who shares DWI checkpoint locations on the Waze map enables possibly intoxicated individuals to drive through the city undetected.
What does this mean for me?
If you’re a U.S. resident with a driver’s license and a Waze application, you might have to get used to driving without the pre-knowledge of DWI checkpoints in the area.
Because the new NYPD demand will take away your ability to know where DWI checkpoints are located geographically, it is imperative that you drive on the side of caution.
While you might have gotten away with skipping DWI checkpoints through the Waze app before this point, the new regulation stipulates that you be constantly prepared for this scenario while driving.
So, how can you know if you’re good to get behind the wheel?
It’s as easy as downloading Otorize and checking your cognitive impairment in a matter of seconds.
Otorize utilizes an innovative algorithm to determine whether you’re too high or drunk to drive. You don’t need any fancy equipment to use it; simply answer a few visually-based questions on your phone screen and wait for the results to arrive in seconds.
In a world of ever-changing traffic and DWI checkpoints, it’s the one constant that’ll keep you grounded.
