PhantomALERT is being hailed as a breakthrough in road safety. It has been described as drivers helping other drivers.
Basically it`s a database of currently over 100,000 reports of locations where motorists will find certain things that could get them into trouble. For a lot of drivers I would imagine that PhantomALERT, the device which a company has produced to warn of such things as speed traps, red light cameras, and other things which the police have in place, is a very useful addition. The PhantomALERT information is downloaded to your GPS system. The information is provided in the first place by the public, and paid spotters, who, by logging on to the PhantomALERT website, can input relevant details of what they’ve seen for themselves. That information is then available for download to a GPS.
The system was created by using Google Streetmaps, and over time sufficient information has built up to be able to have a database of quite sizeable proportions.
For drivers who want to get hold of this product, many will probably opt for the yearly package at $39.99, or better value still, the lifetime package at $99.99.
The dilemma I have is this. Should we really be encouraging drivers who drink to be avoiding DUI checkpoints? Shouldn`t we rather be trying to get those drivers off the road for the safety of themselves and other road users? Is it morally acceptable to advise motorists where DUI checkpoints are, so that they can then take a different route to avoid them, and not get caught?
Now some will say that any driver, under the influence or not, would rather avoid a checkpoint. It can be time-consuming being tested, it slows them down, they might have to get somewhere. But, isn`t it better to have to face a little inconvenience if it means it could save just one life?
One of the people involved in the production of PhantomALERT, Joe Scott, was interviewed on TV recently about the product. His view when asked about the legality and the morality of having such a system available to drivers was this. He thinks that the PhantomALERT makes drivers safer. This is because if they do happen to go over the speed limit, the unit will chirp away, making the driver aware of his speed, and hopefully this will slow him down.
Now that I can go along with, it`s a great reminder to watch your speed. I like the idea of being able to get advance notice of where traffic lights are, and if they can be circumvented fine, it helps keep traffic moving, and should reduce the risk of accidents.
But, when it comes to warning drivers of speed traps, and DUI Checkpoints I`m not convinced. They are there for a reason, to stop people breaking the law. And talking about the law, how can radar detectors be illegal in most places, yet the PhantomALERT is apparently fully legal? Even some police forces have bought it. If a motorist even flashes his headlights to warn oncoming motorists of an upcoming police speed trap he can find himself in hot water.
The conclusion I`ve reached is that in some ways it can be very beneficial, but let`s remember the normal GPS will warn of some problem areas to avoid anyway, though more limited of course. Where I draw the line is where warnings of speed traps and DUI checkpoints are given. I think there is a moral dilemma here, however much the manufacturers may dress it up as a safety aid for motorists.
