Senate Asks for Pull-Out of DUI Checkpoint Apps

There’s an app for practically anything, we already know that; how necessary, practical, or beneficial these apps are, however, is subject to debate. One such group of apps has caught the eye of four Democratic senators, so much so that they are urging that these apps be pulled from circulation.

A feature on PC Magazine shared that Sens. Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Frank Lautenberg, and Mark Udall have sent letters to Apple, Google, and Research in Motion, calling for the removal of apps that provide users with information regarding DUI checkpoints.

The senators wrote: “With more than 10,000 Americans dying in drunk-driving crashes every year, providing access to applications that alert users to DUI checkpoints is harmful to public safety. One application contains a database of DUI checkpoints updated in real-time. Another application, with more than 10 million users, also allows users to alert each other to DUI checkpoints in real time… giving drunk drivers a free tool to evade checkpoints, putting innocent families and children at risk, is a matter of public concern.”

The senators are calling for the removal of the DUI apps, unless the DUI or DWI checkpoint functionality is removed by the creators of the app.

Three such apps turn up when a search on “DUI checkpoint” is conducted in the Apple App Store. “Buzzed” provides users with updates regarding DUI checkpoints within 100 miles of their location. “Checkpointer” provides data on checkpoints in Orange County, California, and information collected and posted by a bail bonds company. The free app “.Tipsy” provides weekly updates on checkpoints in LA.