There’s a new app that aims to solve the growing problem of distracted motorists driving while on their cell phone. Ironically, it requires users to pull out their own phones to snap a quick video of the culprit.
The app, called Text to Ticket, claims to “help save lives, reduce injuries and make some money,” by allowing motorists to report other drivers who are allegedly driving distracted. The videoing driver would take a clear shot of the distracted driver and their license plate, and upload the video to the Text to Ticket app, where the driver can then submit the video to be reviewed.
In the video, the distracted driving, as well as the license plate must be clear. Submissions are allowed to utilize the “zoom in” feature.
After about a week, if the submission has been accepted, the recorded driver will receive a ticket, and the driver who submitted the video will receive $5 via PayPal or Venmo.
According to the Text to Ticket website, the app “will not accept any videos shot from the driver’s perspective and urge our users to never use their phones while driving.” However, the fact that users are allowed to zoom in during the video could make it difficult to determine from which perspective the video was taken, the passenger seat or the driver’s seat. The website also does not explain how Text to Ticket determines whether a video was taken from a driver’s perspective.
In addition, each submission is required to clearly show the distracted driver and the license plate. In many states, this could mean snapping a photo of both the front and the back of the car. This could mean driving very close to someone that is already distracted, creating the potential not only for more wrecks but for more incidents of road rage.
Each video submitted “may be used by law enforcement and the district attorney’s office to enforce traffic violations,” however, the app will not accept submissions depicting a police officer using an electronic device and driving as “police officers are trained on duty to be able to use a mobile device or computer while on patrol. While in uniform and in a cruiser, they are allowed to engage in the use of their devices.”
For now, Text to Ticket is only available in participating cities and counties, though the website does not specify which cities and counties these may be. Applications are available to city council members, city managers, mayors, and law enforcement officers who wish to see this app used in their hometown.
