RIM Rids Itself Of Program That Helps Users Evade Police
U.S. senators said on Wednesday that Research in Motion (RIM) has promised to get rid of a BlackBerry software program that helps drunk drivers evade police checkpoints.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and fellow Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer, Frank Lautenberg and Tom Udall had all urged Google, Apple and RIM to remove the third-party software from shops stocked with applications.
"Drunk drivers will soon have one less tool to evade law enforcement and endanger our friends and families," the senators said in joint statement.
"We appreciate RIM’s immediate reply and urge the other smartphone makers to quickly follow suit."
The senators want to purge applications that use driver-generated databases of speed traps, speed cameras, or even drunk driving checkpoints to help drivers avoid police.
Smartphone program PhantomAlert asks potential customers on its website: "Tired of traffic tickets? The embarrassment, the time, the points, the frustration, the money?"
"You will be alerted as you approach: Railroad Crossings, Dangerous Intersections, Dangerous Curves, Speed Bumps, Speed Traps, Speed Cameras, Red Light Cameras, School Zones, DUI Checkpoints."
PhantomAlert chief executive Joe Scott called the lawmakers’ appeal "a knee-jerk reaction" and said in a statement that his company was helping to "deter drivers from drinking and driving" by making them more aware of the risk of arrest.
According to the U.S. department of transportation, over 10,000 people in the U.S. are killed each year in accidents involving a drunk driver.
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