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NYPD Is Not Happy About Waze's DWI Checkpoint Alerts

The NYPD has reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to Waze owner Google ordering the tech giant to remove those alerts from the popular traffic and navigation app.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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People who drive drunk might love the crowdsourced DWI checkpoint alerts you can get on Waze. The New York City Police Department, however, isn't a fan of the feature.

According to CBS New York, the NYPD has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Waze owner Google ordering the tech giant to remove those alerts from its popular traffic and navigation app.

"Individuals who post the locations of DWI checkpoints may be engaging in criminal conduct since such actions could be intentional attempts to prevent and/or impair the administration of the DWI laws and other relevant criminal and traffic laws," the NYPD wrote, according to the report. "The posting of such information for public consumption is irresponsible since it only serves to aid impaired and intoxicated drivers to evade checkpoints and encourage reckless driving. Revealing the location of checkpoints puts those drivers, their passengers, and the general public at risk."

Google recently started rolling out a similar feature to its main Maps app that warns users about police speed traps, according to Android Police. Users with access to it can see speed trap icons on the map and get an audio warning when approaching one.

In a Wednesday statement to PCMag, Google defended its speed trap warnings.

"Safety is a top priority when developing navigation features at Google," a company spokesperson said. "We believe that informing drivers about upcoming speed traps allows them to be more careful and make safer decisions when they're on the road."

Meanwhile, if you think an autonomous car can save you from DWI charges, think again. Take it from one California man, who is now facing up to six months in jail after police caught him snoozing in the driver seat of his Tesla Model S as it rolled down Highway 101 in Autopilot mode.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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