Senators Blast Apple For DUI Checkpoint Evasion App

Four Democratic Senators are calling on Apple to pull apps from the App Store that allows drivers to avoid drunk driving checkpoints.

Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) have sent a letter to an Apple executive asking to take down apps that show the locations of police checkpoints, red light cameras and speed traps.

With more than 10,000 Americans dying in drunk-driving crashes every year, providing access to iPhone and iPad applications that alert users to DUI checkpoints is harmful to public safety, the senators wrote to Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone software at Apple.

The main source of concern is an app called PhantomAlert, which shows the locations of the DUI checkpoints, school zones, red light cameras and speed traps. It can also be uploaded to a user's GPS system and costs $9.99 per month. Other apps of this nature include Buzzed and Trapster.

We appreciate the technology that has allowed millions of Americans to have information at their fingertips, but giving drunk drivers a free tool to evade checkpoints, putting innocent families and children at risk, is a matter of public concern. We hope that you will give our request to remove these applications from your store immediate consideration, the senators wrote to Apple.

These days everyone seems to have a problem with Apple over controversial apps sold in their App Store. Gay rights activists groups such as Truth Wins Out have called on Apple to remove an app that promises to help cure people of their homosexuality.

A recent report says Apple has pulled the anti-gay app, but the company has yet to make a statement about it. Apple did not respond to an inquiry for comment.