This is how the police intelligently use Waze for their road checks

The police use Waze to their advantage, the little navigation assistant now fully part of the road control strategy.

We are in an era where new technologies are undeniably shaping the road safety landscape. Imagine that the gendarmes of Hérault and Lot-et-Garonne in particular use tools such as the Waze navigation application, which initially served motorists to spot possible members of the police posted on the side of the road. Instead of fighting against this technology, certain gendarmerie services have chosen to exploit it strategically to strengthen their presence and optimize their operations.

An evolution of the use of Waze by the police

For context, you may be aware that since the 1^er November 2021, a decree prohibits the dissemination of information reporting the presence of law enforcement on driving assistance applications, of which Waze is one. However, this ban only applies in specific situations, leaving room for a gradual adaptation of police practices.

In 2023, the Waze application now only reports fixed speed cameras, but its impact on road checks remains notable. Users can still report police presence, forcing authorities to adopt increased mobility, to thwart reports. And although the warning remains active for a short time, drivers are encouraged to be more careful.

Except that long before the decree, certain gendarmes, such as those of Pas-de-Calais, had already chosen to adopt a proactive approach. In August 2021, roadblocks were set up by being flagged by Waze users. This strategy has since been adopted nationally, with police using the app to plan their devices.

The gendarmerie uses Waze with humor

The gendarmes of Marmande (Lot-et-Garonne), for example, use Waze to effectively plan their interventions, and thus save precious time. The goal is to enforce the rules of conduct, but also to disseminate prevention messages.

In Hérault, the application is used with humor to share checkpoints, which further strengthens prevention and makes it possible to anticipate risky behavior, in addition to a lighter exchange between authorities and citizens.

Police use of Waze raises questions about the unexpected collaboration between law enforcement and technology. This approach has its advantages and disadvantages, although we must also remember that the gendarmes can also work very discreetly.

Source : CentrePresseAveyron.fr