Apple to stop accepting DUI checkpoint apps

[Oxycondone]

Yeh I guess there is the inconvenience but I think it makes up for it in safety and stigmatizing DUI. Our model in Aus works on random breath testing (obviously if you are swerving all over the road you'll get pulled over), but with the random tests they pull up maybe 15% of cars travelling past the block. On most roads this is 1 in 10 cars maybe. They don't setup on freeways or busy areas either. If you are unlucky enough to be pulled over, like Juvenile said, it takes about 20 seconds and you're on your way.

Maybe America should look into using breathalysers as first line testing and not bother with all the questions and getting people out of their car which in my opinion seem to be a bigger inconvenience and breach of privacy than blowing into a machine.

 

[Lady Codone]

I'm 1000% against the loss of personal freedom, but driving under the influence is where personal freedom ends and public safety begins. There is no excuse for drunk or drugged driving, period. Instead of finding ways to circumvent checkpoints, drivers should be focusing on following the speed limit, paying attention to the road, driving sober and NOT using cellphones while driving.

Police radars are illegal (for good reason) and these apps are no different. Do what you want in your own home but keep it off the road.

 

[purple_cloud]

i'm 1000% against the loss of personal freedom, but driving under the influence is where personal freedom ends and public safety begins. There is no excuse for drunk or drugged driving, period. Instead of finding ways to circumvent checkpoints, drivers should be focusing on following the speed limit, paying attention to the road, driving sober and not using cellphones while driving.

Police radars are illegal (for good reason) and these apps are no different. Do what you want in your own home but keep it off the road.

qft.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

This is the only thing I was thinking at first as to how it could be beneficial. It's annoying when I really have to pee/am running late and have nowhere to go/haven't even seen alcohol for the night at any point and am totally and completely sober from everything. It's an inconvenience but I'd rather it there for my overall safety...the benefits outweight the annoyances I suppose

I already have a program which shows if the roads are running smoothly, slow, or not at all. I think that the DUI checkpoints inevitably do not allow for "smooth traffic" - so they are indirectly represented but not specifically discriminated separately from just poor traffic without checkpoints.

I also think that people should be allowed to know where the checkpoints are - what if I know at one checkpoint, there are going to be tons of drunks, especially some trying to drive away once they realized they have entered the trap? This can potentially cause lots of accidents - which can hurt non-drunks who are just trying to get through the checkpoint to begin with.

However, I think that if you really wanted to get around this, you would get a police scanner, so that you can hear what's going on miles before you even get close.

I strongly advise everyone who likes to travel in a car drunk to get designated drivers. It won't harm anyone to have a sober person drive your car, and it may very well allow you to keep your car, license, as well as prevent a record from forming.

and NOT using cellphones while driving.

You can use cell phones while driving, you just need a hands-free device/headset - this is at least what the local laws dictate where I live.

Nonetheless, almost everyone still drives around on a cell phone without a headset/hands-free device, including many police officers on duty.

 

[purple_cloud]

I also think that people should be allowed to know where the checkpoints are - what if I know at one checkpoint, there are going to be tons of drunks, especially some trying to drive away once they realized they have entered the trap? This can potentially cause lots of accidents - which can hurt non-drunks who are just trying to get through the checkpoint to begin with.

I never quite thought of it this way, you do have a point though. As I said, scares the hell out of me when I see a car swerving everywhere.

I strongly advise everyone who likes to travel in a car drunk to get designated drivers. It won't harm anyone to have a sober person drive your car, and it may very well allow you to keep your car, license, as well as prevent a record from forming.

Agree, definitely, qft cap'n.

 

[Oxycondone]

I also think that people should be allowed to know where the checkpoints are - what if I know at one checkpoint, there are going to be tons of drunks, especially some trying to drive away once they realized they have entered the trap? This can potentially cause lots of accidents - which can hurt non-drunks who are just trying to get through the checkpoint to begin with.

I don't think it's a strong point, as I've never seen people doing crazy shit at checkpoints, but nevertheless I'm not convinced checkpoints should be protected by law. However a problem I can see occurring is who is going to get picked up for DUI if they can find out where the checkpoints are on their phone? They would have to be super drunk, stupid or not own a smartphone to get caught at a checkpoint after drinking. This sort of defeats the purpose of having checkpoints as they would only slow people who haven't been drinking.

 

[AfterGlow]

I'm 1000% against the loss of personal freedom, but driving under the influence is where personal freedom ends and public safety begins.

What about all of those people who are NOT drunk driving, which I would guess is 99% of the people who go through the road blocks? It's ok to deprive 99% of the people's freedom of movement because 1% will be doing something wrong? There's something wrong with that logic.

Instead of finding ways to circumvent checkpoints, drivers should be focusing on following the speed limit, paying attention to the road, driving sober and NOT using cellphones while driving.

They should. And police should be out patrolling and stopping those who are driving drunk and NOT stopping everybody who happens to travel down a certain roadway. That's the worst kind of law "enforcement".

Police radars are illegal (for good reason) and these apps are no different. Do what you want in your own home but keep it off the road.

Radar detectors are only illegal is SOME states and they are not as accurate as you might think. A vehicle must be moving straight at you or straight away from you to measure your real speed. And they do not tell you which vehicle they are measuring. They could be getting a better return signal from a vehicle next to you.

 

[Oxycondone]

What about all of those people who are NOT drunk driving, which I would guess is 99% of the people who go through the road blocks? It's ok to deprive 99% of the people's freedom of movement because 1% will be doing something wrong? There's something wrong with that logic.



They should. And police should be out patrolling and stopping those who are driving drunk and NOT stopping everybody who happens to travel down a certain roadway. That's the worst kind of law "enforcement".



Radar detectors are only illegal is SOME states and they are not as accurate as you might think. A vehicle must be moving straight at you or straight away from you to measure your real speed. And they do not tell you which vehicle they are measuring. They could be getting a better return signal from a vehicle next to you.

If America adopts an efficient testing method a roadblock will hold you up for a maximum of 30 seconds, assuming you get pulled over (random checking). It's hardly an inconvenience when the alternative could mean a loss of life.

30 seconds of a drivers time could save someone 60 years or more of their life. Just saying.

 

[Juvenile]

What about all of those people who are NOT drunk driving, which I would guess is 99% of the people who go through the road blocks? It's ok to deprive 99% of the people's freedom of movement because 1% will be doing something wrong? There's something wrong with that logic.

I happily give up half a minute of my time for an RBT knowing that its keeping at least some of the mentally challenged people who think its ok to drink and drive off the road.

I hardly call a ~30second process deprivation of movement.

As for radar detectors... Well good luck with those, where I live they are still legal as far as I know. But our fixed and mobile spped cameras are nearly all linked to LiDAR or Multinova detection. Not much chance of detecting them before you get caught speeding anyway.

 

[Roger&Me]

All of you who are in favor of these checkpoints don't deserve to live in a free country. Anyone who values safety over liberty is just a coward as far as I'm concerned.

It pisses me off to no end that people are throwing my civil liberties in the garbage just because they are scared.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

All of you who are in favor of these checkpoints don't deserve to live in a free country. Anyone who values safety over liberty is just a coward as far as I'm concerned.

It pisses me off to no end that people are throwing my civil liberties in the garbage just because they are scared.

^^That's a pretty stupid statement. So we're pussies because we don't want a little drunk driver danger in our lives? You talk like someone who's bitter because he can't drink and drive in peace. It's like you think you're the Rosa Parks of the drunk driving community.

These civil liberties you mention every other sentence don't fucking exist. As someone who's been pulled over a dozen times under false pretenses, I can attest to that. "Why did you pull me over, officer?" I ask them. They'll say no seat belt when I was wearing one. Improper lane change when I used my blinker. Failure to stop when I did everything but park at the stop sign. I'd rather the fuckers be all equal opportunity about it and snag a few drunk drivers than just randomly pulling me over any time they get behind me and are bored.

 

[psychomimetic]

Good. The only people who should fear DUI check points are those who are driving while over the limit and they don't deserve a warning.

What about people who smell like weed? People with drugs in the car that cops might find if they did an illegal search (very common in Texas, all they have to say is that they smell weed) also have good reason to be scared. Shit, I get a little scared whenever I see a cop, even if it has nothing to do with me.

DUI doesn't just mean drunk drivers is my point though. You can get arrested for DUI for being "intoxicated" on anything, including legal OTC drugs. Cops have extreme freedom as far as deciding who is intoxicated and who isn't, unfair DUIs are very common here in Texas.

 

[Squeaks]

one of the most stupidest requests I have seen in a long time... we have frequent dui checkpoints where I live very close to work I should say and within minutes of my fellow coworkers leave I gets texts about the checkpoint. i do not feel this will hamper or encourage drunk driving yet it is sure hampering a free speech issue! information isn't the enemy drunk drivers can be and just because they didn't go through a checkpoint doesn't mean they will crash their car hell I have seen friends who were over the limit and still pass through the checkpoint.... letting us know when we are not drinking so we don't have to wait 20 minutes in a checkpoint lane is a valuable tool... it will do little to combat drunk driving if these apps are removed!

 

[Oxycondone]

I may be totally wrong here but it sounds like America has some pretty shady cops (psychomimetic is one of many who have mention unfair treatment) and some pretty inefficient practises (a DUI checkpoint taking 20 mins! Here they take 20 seconds).

Although I'm picking up that opinion from bluelight users, who MAY be more bias against police due to habits a lot of us possess.

Maybe these aforementioned issues should be investigated and resolved so things like DUI checkpoints aren't a hassle to people and therefore the apps can be banned.