GPS navigators for cars not only make it easy to find the best route from one point to another, but they also do a lot to avoid possible mishaps on the road. In addition, offer police alerts, a simple way to avoid traffic checks or speed cameras. Although it has a hidden use when used by the police themselves.
One of the biggest advantages of Waze has always been its great social component. Thanks to user reports of what’s happening on the road, Waze eventually became a go-to GPS navigator (it also ended up in the hands of Google). Because, what is the enormous advantage of knowing where there is an accident or a traffic jam? Also where are the speed cameras and the police
Surrey Police give themselves away on Waze
How Waze alerts work allows any driver warn other users of driving-threatening incidents. Once one of these incidents is discovered, the user can report it with just a few clicks in the Waze app. This concerns the location of mobile police radars and the police themselves.
Users telling the Waze community where the police are hiding is hardly enough for authorities to spot potential dangers lurking on the roads. For this reason, the police of Surrey, one of the counties of England, decided to take the opposite step: instead of hiding, they revealed their location on Waze
Surrey authorities have “trolled” Waze users in the county by filling out the police notice app. These opinions, communicated by the authorities themselves, succeeded in reducing the speed of vehicles on the roads which were the target of the agents; creating controversy over possible inappropriate use of reviews.
As detailed by Surrey Police themselves a twitter:
We certainly don’t drop police markers in Waze at random points on our patrol, no – never 😉
A simple way to slow down drivers on our roads – thanks @waze.
Ironically, authorities in Surrey warned against the advertising campaign they were running on Waze. And without these warnings being false, all positions were actually marked by police at designated places. This was clarified before a response on Twitter:
Technically that’s not wrong. We are here at this precise moment. 😉
As officers demonstrated, using Waze they were able to run a speed reduction campaign on Surrey roads: with proximity to locations marked in the app drivers took their foot off the accelerator; an effect similar to that obtained in Europe with fake speed cameras. All because of Waze’s huge popularity among drivers.
According to Surrey Police statements to the Guardian, the temporary police notices they managed to reduce the speed of vehicles for about 10-15 minutes after the alert was posted in Waze (application users can deny the incident; after several denials, the alert disappears). This strategy was not only a proof of concept, but also a public denunciation by the police: Surrey traffic authorities are warning against the gradual reduction of resources allocated to traffic units.
More information | Surrey Police Twitter
Through | Guardian