I am a self-admitted Blackberry man. I don’t go anywhere without my appendage. If you and I were having a five-minute conversation, I would probably check my Blackberry at least three times while you were talking.
My Blackberry keeps me informed, it wakes me up for work every morning and it provides me with entertainment when I’m bored. I recognize that I have issues. My love for my Blackberry runs so deep, that I have never once considered getting an iPhone. Until now.
I have just learned of an amazing iPhone app used in Israel. If the app comes stateside I might have to ditch my beloved Blackberry for the ubiquitous iPhone. The app is called “Traffic Observer” and I want it badly.
Simply put, the app allows drivers to record and report other drivers on the road. You just mount your iPhone on your dashboard and it records what you see in two-minute intervals.
If you see an accident or someone driving recklessly, you pull over and click a button on the phone and it transmits the recording. You also have an option to add an oral description to the video.
The video is then uploaded to a private YouTube account. From there, volunteers from an Israeli road safety agency review the videos. The worst offenses are then sent to the authorities.
People who commit less severe driving faux pas are contacted by the volunteers and sent the video of their infraction.
There’s even an Israeli TV station that replays some of the worst driving offenses.
I can’t tell you how amazing I think this app is. The benefits are endless.
Think of how many drunk drivers would be snagged by this.
Think of how many times you’ve seen an erratic or dangerous driver, speeding while weaving in and out of traffic. You would now have a way to report and prove their violations.
Ever witnessed a crash? With the “Traffic Observer” app you would now have a record of the incident, enabling the authorities and the insurance companies to determine who was at fault.
I also think that the “threat” of the application would be a great deterrent to aggressive drivers.
Would you be so quick to cut off another driver if you thought that there might be a chance that they were recording you?
The application is free, but it is only being used in Israel at this time. You can learn more about the app at www.zemingo.com
If it ever makes it to the United States, that might be the end of my Blackberry.
Gridlock updates
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Mark Arum’s column appears Mondays. Listen to his traffic reports daily on AM 750 and now 95.5FM News/Talk WSB, and see him each morning on Channel 2 Action News. Connect with Mark by e-mail at mark.arum@coxradio.com; Twitter @markarum; or Facebook: markarumWSB.
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