Waze has become the most popular alternative to Google Chrome, thanks to its collaborative philosophy that allows drivers from around the world to report accidents on the road. Millions of people use the app, trusting in the goodwill of other users who use it to find out what they can expect on their way. However, the truth is that the information provided by the app is not always as reliable as it should be.
It is not the app’s fault itself, but the fault of users who send false reports. The situation worsens when authorities themselves are behind these false reports.
Something similar happened in Surrey County, England, where the police themselves (in one way or another) confirmed that they were behind false notifications sent to Waze in order to deter drivers from exceeding speed limits on the roads.
Those who are not familiar with how Waze works should know that in this navigation app, users themselves report the presence of radars, speed cameras, or other incidents on the roads. Any user can send their report, which will appear on the map and be visible to other Waze users.
The Surrey authorities benefited from using the app to try and deter drivers from exceeding speed limits on the roads. How? Very easy: the police used the app to send reports warning of supposed speed controls or radars spread along the roads, which were not actually present. The police themselves confirmed this, using sarcasm, through their Twitter profile.
We definitely don’t drop Police markers on Waze at random points on our patrol, nope – never 😉
An easy way to get drivers to slow down on our roads – thanks @waze. pic.twitter.com/rrv9I9LJJ6
— Roads Policing – Surrey Police – UK (@SurreyRoadCops) August 29, 2022
It seems this tactic worked, according to the authorities, but it is not without controversy. Many Waze users expressed dissatisfaction with the police’s strategy, claiming that the app is being used deceptively by adding false information and attempting to deceive other users who use the app.
In conclusion, a prominent representative of the UK Automobile Association says that visual warnings, like speed camera signs, have been proven to impact driver behavior and cause them to slow down. In this way, he suggests that the fake alerts executed by Surrey Police through Waze are the modern equivalent of a radar flash.
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