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PhantomAlert Service Warns Drivers of Speeding Cameras

by Warren Riddle on June 8, 2009 at 07:25 PM

Since the dawn of speed limits, lead-foot drivers and police officers have engaged in a gadget war of radios, radar detectors, and cameras. There is a current service, though, that appeals to both sects. PhantomAlert, a GPS device that pinpoints the locations of speed cameras and traffic light cameras (which snap a shot of a car's license plate as it illegally runs a light), not only has fans among the speeder set, but has also drawn positive reviews from law enforcement officers.

The device emits noises to alert drivers to upcoming cameras, and the service also allows users to submit speed trap location information, which can be uploaded to notify other subscribers. Even though the company's owner, Joseph Scott, has a history selling products that are intended to mask license plates from cameras, some police officers praise his latest development. Corinne Geller, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police, told the Washington Post, "If it's a deterrent [to speeding and running lights], that's a good thing."

One user of the service, Steven Forage, told the Washington Post that PhantomAlert reminds him "of back in the '70s, when the CB's were out. People were networking, trying to keep from getting speeding tickets... This is a high-tech version of that." And, so far, it's a high-tech version that seems to meet police approval. Just don't tell Buford T. Justice. [From: The Washington Post]


Tags: car, gps, phantomalert, police, radar detector, RadarDetector, top

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