It’s one thing to warn others where police are watching for general road rule-breakers, but the concept can be taken too far, agree local law enforcement agencies.
Guelph police and the OPP urge users of popular travel delay-avoiding apps such as Waze not to mark the location of RIDE checkpoints, which are designed to catch impaired drivers.
“Obviously we want all road users to be as safe as possible, which would include obeying traffic rules and employing common sense,” said Guelph police spokesperson Scott Tracey. “Helping impaired drivers avoid detection would be an irresponsible use of the technology as it could allow them to present an ongoing safety risk to themselves and all other road users.”
A recent social media post by Ontario Provincial Police encouraged residents to use the Waze app to mark the locations of its officers.
The "community driven navigation app" is a popular road tool that allows people to notify other drivers and be notified with real-time traffic alerts about upcoming issues such as accidents, road closures and other delays. The more drivers that pin an occurrence, the better chance it has to display for others.
Think of it as the evolution of drivers flashing their high beams to alert to other drivers of a speed trap up ahead.
But does warning people of the location of police aid in enforcement or serve as an escape plan for potential criminals?
It depends how it's used, said OPP media relations officer Sgt Kerry Schmidt.
"We don't have any concerns about people flagging where officers are conducting enforcement on highways as it allows those drivers to hopefully be more alert to the situation," Schmidt said.
"However, if people identify where police are doing RIDE checks or other road safety initiatives, I would say it's irresponsible to alert other drivers who may already be impaired and they avoid the area due to others alerting on social media."
- With files from Matt Betts of CambridgeToday
