Drivers with a GPS or Smartphone can now receive instant warnings when approaching DUI checkpoints and speed traps as well as red light and speed cameras. Police fear that this will aid offenders in escaping arrest. Phantom Alert is the company that produces the application which began as a method to help drivers avoid tickets for a small fee.
The checkpoint notification shows up on devices as a martini glass followed by a police car. In Washington D.C, common DUI checkpoints are around popular nightspots. Employees at Phantom Alert are instructed to search police press releases and news reports for new locations. There is also an option for users to report their own findings, which can be helpful to other users since, in areas like Montgomery County, Maryland, police sometimes announce checkpoints without specific locations.
Another company, Buzzed, produces a similar application for iPhones and also includes a “call a cab” feature in order to deter people from driving drunk. Still, police are unconvinced that the apps are a method of prevention and will continue to establish DUI checkpoints without releasing locations. In the first seven months of 2009, there were 500 more DUI arrests in Montgomery County than there were during the same period in 2008. This indicates that despite these new applications, police are getting better at arresting drunk driving offenders.
Being arrested for driving under the influence can have embarrassing and expensive repercussions. A DUI conviction includes possible jail time, large fines, license suspension, huge increases in insurance coverage, and could lead to trouble at work. If you have been charged with a DUI or DWI in Maryland or D.C., contact Alpert Schreyer Criminal Defense Attorneys. Our aggressive Maryland DUI defense attorneys have the experience and skills required to help you keep your license and your job. Call (301) 262-7005 for a free case evaluation.
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