A new application will turn mobile phones into a car camera that will be able to record the offenses of other drivers. The recordings will then be sent to the police as evidence.
A few days ago, the British automobile club RAC (Royal Automotive Club) brought information about an application for mobile phones, which basically turns a smart mobile device into a car camera, through which it will be possible to record and report the offenses of other drivers.
The new application is to be made available in the UK this May, free of charge. Its creator, Oleksiy Afonin, states that it will be able to use a smartphone camera to check the traffic in front of the car and possibly register motorists exceeding the maximum speed limit and report them to the police.
Afonin recently attended a meeting with police representatives, where they discussed how drivers could use the app and how it could also assist the police themselves. An official portal could be set up to upload the video of the offense recorded. Afonin is said to have specified with the policemen the exact way in which the video footage should be taken so that it can be used as evidence.
In addition to exceeding the maximum permitted speed, the application’s records will be able to serve as evidence for other offenses as well. This should be, for example, running a red light, not using blinkers, dangerous driving style, unauthorized parking, or – paradoxically – using a mobile device while driving.
The driver of the car with the app installed and the phone conveniently placed will just have to turn on the recording button. He will only be able to send the recording to the police when he stops and turns off the engine. Thanks to these rules, the driver will not be seen as someone who uses a mobile phone while driving. The app will capture video while driving continuously, but if the driver does not press the record button, the recordings will be automatically deleted after 30 seconds.
For now, the app will probably only be available in the UK, and we hope it won’t expand further. We agree that there is a need to supervise traffic safety, or rather to behave responsibly behind the wheel, but a similar method of control reeks of abuse and will probably bring more harm than good. But we would like to be confused.
