Placeholder Content Image

Do you use this app? Drivers warned they could be breaking the law

<p>Aussie drivers are being warned about using a popular app by tech giant Google on the roads.</p> <p>The app known as Waze allows drivers to avoid speed cameras and random police checks on the road.</p> <p>The app has thousands of Aussie users and describes itself as “contributing to the ‘common good’ out there on the road”.</p> <p>Waze might be legal but using it while driving is not.</p> <p>Western Australia Police Minister Michelle Roberts believes that the use of the app could lead to fatalities as users are required to touch the screen while they’re driving.</p> <p>"If you're entering any information, if you're touching the screen for example, then you are breaking the law," Mrs Roberts said to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/waze-google-owned-app-allows-drivers-to-avoid-radars/a84c7d21-c04f-4d77-a152-2b62ac65b1d9" target="_blank">Nine News</a></em>.</p> <p>"How would you feel if you hit a pedestrian, or a kid on a bike, because you were distracted because you were using an app like this.</p> <p>"Using it to avoid police is just stupid, it's putting your life at risk, but more importantly it's putting other road user's lives at risk."</p> <p>However, users of the app believe it’s beneficial to the community and one user says it’s helped him avoid speeding fines for the last five years.</p> <p>“It's not just about avoiding speeding fines for me, it's also understanding what's happening on the roads,” says motorist Chris Doukakis.</p> <p>“I feel like the number of users is picking up.</p> <p>“More people are becoming aware of the app and using it but with more users, there's gonna be more alerts gonna come out and more beneficial to the community.” </p>

Travel Tips

Our Partners