Should Police use Facebook for Accident and Crime Witness Search?

Editorial by Marcela Shine, CEO - Accidents.com, January 12th, 2011

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Police in Paris are starting to use social media to solve hit-and-run car accidents, and in some cases, to solve crimes. While some see this as "spying" and claim that this will encourage people to snitch on their neighbors, I don't see that this is any different than using television or radio to put out Amber Alerts or report missing people hoping to get the community to respond. I actually commend a state agency for being so advanced in their thinking, and hope the United States agencies move in that direction.

I hope that if we continue to upgrade the way we approach, report and track accidents, our roads will become safer. Imagine a world where criminals fear their community, not just law enforcement. I believe that social media has that kind of power. What's your opinion on this?

Should police use social media to find witnesses?

79%
21%

Other Accident-related Technology Can Save Lives

At Accidents.com, we have been talking to and researching companies that are using technologically advanced approaches to create safer roads, report accidents and even expedite the post-accident process for victims. How can all of this help? Here are some current examples of the technology that is available.

Distracted Driving

To start with, choosing to implement distracted driving software can keep young drivers safe. Parental controls can aid in the education of future drivers, and adults that have already caused accidents because of irresponsible telephone use in the car should also be forced to use these software applications.

Avoiding Drinking and Driving - DUI Accidents

From a social media standpoint, I welcome the real-time reporting from anyone witnessing a drunk driver getting on the road. While it might be considered snitching, if it saves your family member from dying at the hands of a DUI incident, wouldn't you want someone to step up? Twitter, Facebook and other applications have geo-targeting available. Posting that to a local police station seems more important to me than using geo-targeting to send me a $1 coupon to Starbucks.

Post-Accident Resolution

Have you ever had an accident and had to go pick up your accident report in some remote County so that you can start processing your claim. It's time consuming, and adds to the frustration of a painful event. Technology is also helping this situation.

MyCollisionReport.com launched a system on the West Coast (California, Nevada) that allows police officers to take an accident report electronically, and deliver it to interested parties within hours, not days. Each local police station has to volunteer to use this service, but it provides some interested benefits.

The most interesting part of this technology is the hand held device that police officers use to take accident information. The electronic submission is "smarter" than using paper because it forces officers ask pertinent questions they might otherwise forget. For example, whether or not the driver was texting while driving, which isn't always a standard question on all reports in all states. This could start tracking chronic distracted drivers, and help legislate laws down the road. This technology also helps accident victims file personal injury claims with their insurance company and personal injury attorneys faster.

Original Story Sourced: Reuters

All content on Accidents.com is for informational purposes only and is NOT intended as legal or medical advice. Please seek advice from a professional on any related topics.

Tags:  Auto Accident · Car Accident Laws · Car Accident Victims · Car Accidents · Distracted Driving · DUI Laws · Motor Vehicle Accident · Safety and Prevention · Texting While Driving

8 Comments

Craig Swerdloff
January 12, 2011
Who are these supposed people who believe the police should not use all of the tools at their discretion to solve crimes? Send me their names so I can look them up on Facebook and Twitter!
Josh Reider
January 12, 2011
this is certainly an interesting use of social media. what worries me is that not enough people are interested in following police departments or local government websites because they don't offer enough of a reason for people to do so. In comparison, most of us read the newspaper and listen to the news, and would therefore be able to react better if the police were looking for a criminal.
Tom F
January 13, 2011
It certainly makes sense for police divisions to use whatever technology is available in order to solve a crime. Especially if that technology is relatively inexpensive to use. I think it needs to be done in an intelligent, thoughtful way however, so as not to infringe of individuals' right to privacy. I can see how this could be a useful tool, but I also see it as a potentially big step down the slippery slope to big brother nation.
Jake
January 14, 2011
This certainly can be useful in some situations, but I think it walks a fine line between providing safety and violating rights. If it was only the criminals that feared the community, I may be willing to buy into this, but to me it borders on being a fundamental violation of my rights as a free citizen. The police cannot even pull you over without probable cause (though they have plenty of ways around that), can you imagine if a tweet or facebook message was probable cause? It's one thing to see someone stumble out of a bar and get in a car and make a call and it prevents a tragedy(though I think that's why the bar is responsible to monitor this), but what happens when it is used haphazardly? Argument with a gf/bf, you don't like ur neighbor, just want to cause trouble, etc. Would law enforcement have any time to actually fight crime or would they just be responding to the social media addict that sits around and posts messages because someone was speeding down their street? It would be very difficult to monitor this and make sure that it is used in a responsible manner. Would there be a penalty for falsely reporting something? It's definitely food for thought and a good conversation piece, but I'm not sure the pros outweigh the cons. Where does the line get drawn?
Joe
January 14, 2011
I really like the idea of the electronic accident reports. I have to assume that soon we'd see the same for tickets, i.e. speeding, parking violations, driving violations. I had to laugh the other day when I saw a paper ticket on a windshield (under the wiper blade). I thought, "They still use paper ?!" If you can't find the driver, mail it to the registered owner. Seems to me it would save a lot of time and hassle.
Clara
January 16, 2011
I think that using Facebook and Twitter for a higher purpose is actually an excellent idea. Most people in our society are not willing to cooperate as witnesses because they are either scared or they just don't feel like "wasting" their time.I believe it is part of being a good person and it is our duty as a civilian to cooperate with investigations if we know anything, and certainly Facebook and Twitter would simplify the job. We would only have to hope that the system is used a not abused!
Bill
October 3, 2011
I'm not sure about facebook & how it could work because one would have to know about the accident / crime and then know the page and then submit info while others would have to monitor that page.
My site, www.WreckWitness.com matches unbiased witnesses to victims. It is set up as a "for fee business", but no victim will ever be turned away for lack of payment. @WreckWitness on Twitter. Thanks , Bill.
JetSki injury attorneys
December 28, 2011
It may seem terrifying in the "big brother is watching" kind of way, but when you think from the victim's prespective you may feel like it is all for a good reason.

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