Big Brotheresque App Kills Your Automotive Anonymity

[Elliott18t]

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/12...tive-anonymity

Originally Posted by Keith Barry

A new app that lets frustrated drivers vent their anger at boneheaded motorists already has branded your bumper with a “How’s My Driving” sticker, and it could raise your insurance premium. It’s like having thousands of unmarked police cars and speed cameras on every roadway, and it could spell the end of anonymity behind the wheel.

DriveMeCrazy, developed by Shazam co-founder Philip Inghelbrecht, is a voice-activated app that encourages drivers to report bad behavior by reciting the offender’s license plate into a smartphone. The poor sap gets “flagged” and receives a virtual “ticket,” which may not sound like much until you realize all the information — along with date, time and location of the “offense” — is sent to the DMV and insurance companies.

Anyone can write a ticket, even pedestrians and cyclists. No one is safe from being tattled on. Even if you don’t use the program, which went live Wednesday, you can’t opt out of being flagged if someone thinks you’re driving like a schmuck. Inghelbrecht is emphatic in saying he sees no privacy issues with the app and insists the end of road-going anonymity can only improve safety.

“People think they can do bad things on the road because they think they can get away with it,” he said. “I believe that driving is one of the most public acts that you could ever do. One small mistake can impact the lives of those around you.”

Inghelbrecht compares DriveMeCrazy to government programs that encourage reporting drunk drivers or gross polluters. If drivers know they’re being watched by smartphone-wielding vigilantes, Inghelbrecht figures they will refrain from aggressive behavior for fear of getting flagged. His goal is to cut the number of motor vehicle accidents 1 or 2 percent by 2020, a figure that would represent 700 lives saved annually.

“That would be the most beautiful outcome, commercial aspects aside,” he said.

Those commercial aspects could be huge.



“The ability for monetization is actually really strong,” he said. “I don’t want to get into too much detail, but essentially if people report driving behavior of their fellow motorists, you’re building a database of driver information.”

It’s like vehicle-history reports, but with thousands of reports on the behavior of individual drivers. “That’s obviously interesting to the insurance companies, who are truly information starved,” he said.

Insurance companies rely on buying your driving record from your state’s motor-vehicle bureau, and they use predictive proxy data such as marital status, homeownership and ZIP code to determine your risk. Inghelbrecht sees insurance companies having great interest in a driver-behavior database that, if predictive of claims data, could help set rates.

Already, Inghelbrecht is looking at putting together a pilot program with insurance companies, though the industry’s interest — and how much driver-reported data regulators might allow them to use — is uncertain. Nationwide Insurance offered an opinion in an e-mail to Wired.com.

“Auto-insurance rates are filed with state regulators and must include consistent definitions for the activities that will vary costs for consumers,” the company said. “Because each individual who would observe another driver’s performance would have a unique perspective about what might be safe behaviors, it would be difficult to use information reported by the general public.”

Not quite a ringing endorsement, but Inghelbrecht isn’t worried.

“Our data is never as official or authoritative as a police report,” he said. So how can he assure accuracy? Volume.

“The reality is that the police only capture about 35 million moving violations, of which 10 million make it to the DMV,” he said. “For us to get 10 million flags on vehicles isn’t exactly a stretch.”

That’s 10 million pieces of information about motorists sent in by their fellow motorists. Of course, the wisdom of the crowd may not hold up under the scrutiny of state regulators or insurance companies’ internal standards.

There are no limitations on reasons for flagging. Pass on a double-yellow line in a school zone? Flagged. Not driving fast enough for the 16-year-old hoon tailgating you? Flagged. Didn’t see that jaywalking pedestrian wearing a dark coat at night? Flagged. Got a bumpersticker that offends someone? You guessed it. Flagged.

“There’s going to be noise in the data,” Inghelbrecht conceded.

Still, the company is developing algorithms that sort out malicious flags from relevant data. For each flag, he said, “we capture the day, the time, the location, obviously the license plate and the unique device identifier on [a flagger's] iPhone. You can quickly detect malicious use.” Safeguards ensure that multiple flags of the same driver from the same user are ignored, and mistakenly entered plates are matched with other location data.

If that doesn’t work, drivers will soon be able to leave feedback for informants, er, flaggers, which is currently the only official appeal that a flagged driver will have.

Inghelbrecht says someday his crowdsourced driver-behavior database may be worth more than relatively incomplete DMV records, much the same way that online review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp have gained in popularity over Michelin guides.

“If I had told you 10 years ago you can choose between Michelin or reviews by people who visited the restaurant, you and me and everyone else would’ve said Michelin,” he said.

It isn’t all negative. Drivers can also report someone who is driving safely or even flirt with other drivers who have DriveMeCrazy profiles set up, but we imagine that cutie in the 3-Series convertible won’t be nearly as interested in you as your insurance company.

[Willdue]

This is stupid because people will be reporting stupid ****. Like cars with loud exhaust and such.

[420sx]

Well.. Im screwed.

Time to switch the plates back to the ole Texas tags..

[jpalamar]

This is a waste. Its all hear say if it were to come to anything legal. It would never hold in court.

This app was designed to report bad drivers to help the roads be safe... but have the considered the amount of retards that will fiddle with their phones and not pay attention to the road themselfs.

I also don't think they have the right to be reporting anything to insurance/DMV since they aren't legal law inforcement. if someone is driving that bad, call the cops, otherwise get out of their way and stop bitching.

Most people are morons to begin. Hell 1 out of ever 10 reviewes of anything I find online are actualy subjective. Mostly people who don't know dick talking out of their asses.

[Elliott18t]

it really ticks me off that insurance can use this information..

[jpalamar]

Originally Posted by Elliott18t

it really ticks me off that insurance can use this information..

They essentially can't and know it.

[ThePrimerSuspect]

I can see every asshole who drives 50mph in the left lane on 95 downloading this app. How can they prove who is driving? This is stupid, just a matter of time before they get sued.

[Elliott18t]

Originally Posted by ThePrimerSuspect

I can see every asshole who drives 50mph in the left lane on 95 downloading this app. How can they prove who is driving? This is stupid, just a matter of time before they get sued.

can wait till someone gets in an accident using this app.. who is the asshole now?

[Scapegoat]

nothing to fear here from the police or insurance. I can sit out front and ramble out people's plate numbers that are parked in the work lot. doesn't mean ****.

further... its now illegal in a bunch of areas to talk on your cell phone or text while moving so, drive like a douche and get a "ticket" by some schmuck breaking the law.

[jpalamar]

I thought your information linked to your plate was private and that you pritty much had to go to the police with a valid reason or sign a waiver to release the information.

[Elliott18t]

well the fact that this was even thought of was kind of prickish... this guy doesnt care about the mass amount of BS thats in there... he cares about volume that will get the eyes of insurance to pay for his data... this guy is a money grubbing prick.

[Scapegoat]

everyone is a money grubbing prick. wish i thought of this idea first.

[SovXietday]

Guess I'll just have to drive fast enough so people can't read my plate in time.

[ThePrimerSuspect]

i cant wait to look up my plate and see what it says.

[upperguy]

I can't wait for the first lawsuit where someone sues this guy because their rates go up, or the insurance companies for basing it on an unverifiable source. It'd be like having a cop mail you a ticket that just said, "saw you speeding, pay up" and nothing else.

[jpalamar]

Originally Posted by upperguy

It'd be like having a cop mail you a ticket that just said, "saw you speeding, pay up" and nothing else.

Isn't that the same as a traffic cam that they already do?

[upperguy]

Originally Posted by jpalamar

Isn't that the same as a traffic cam that they already do?

ehhhh, they mail you pics of your car, you and radar-based speed. I was implying more of a, "my well-trained eye said you were doing 70 in a 45."

[420sx]

Originally Posted by jpalamar

I thought your information linked to your plate was private and that you pritty much had to go to the police with a valid reason or sign a waiver to release the information.

This is true- but theres nothing stopping a private company from compiling their own database of lisence plates and cars. I dont think they can receive that information from the DMV, but if they want to compile it on their own, theres nothing stopping them.

Also, looking up someones lisence plate as a civilian varies from state to state. My mom investigates insurance fraud, and I know she can look up NJ tags with no problem, but doesnt have access to PA ones. I dont know why exactly.

[Vr-4-Life]

They CANT send it to court or your insurance company until it is proven guilty.. So pleaad innocent and then its your word verse theirs.

What a load of BS...

[s3xrapt0r]

this makes me think... wouldnt the person using this app while there driving get a use of cell phone ticket ??? its no diffrent then texting... if i get a ticket or anything from this i will fight it in court and make excuses like "i share the car" or something... apps dumb as ****... also people get roadrage... all you need to do is beep at someone they will get pissed then make up some **** your didnt do... sorry but i weave in an out of traffic and blow around people who dont know how to merge because i have no tolerence for ****ty drivers.. if you going 10 under the limit i will get on your ass and hold the horn until you move... if your truck high beams are blinding me and your riding up my ass when im going the limit ill break check the **** out of you... this things going to **** NJ over bad... very few drivers in jersey know how to drive... you can spill a cup of water on the expressway and they will stop for hours thinking about how to go around it... im not aggressive im just defensive and know how to drive.. way i see it go the limit not under it and if you see a turn signal let the person in if you cant do that you dont belong in a car