Hi @riz, This is a cool idea, the challenge is scale obviously, but I think it covers that beautifully. Does it also work when I do not own a car? Can I give a bad rating if I'm cut off by whoever rude driver? And does it work outside the land of the cars, US?
@milann Yes it works for anyone in any situation whether you own/drive or not. A driver might almost run you off a crosswalk or you see a parked car is about to towed or was just involved in an accident. These are just a few of the numerous situations where you can use Blinkr without being a driver or owning a vehicle. Alternatively you can use it to monitor the actions of your teen while they are out on the road.
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I think this is a great idea. It should be made standard in all cars that are new and not just a cell phone. The point was made that if you touch your phone in some states, you may get a ticket. So, what if each car had a number that could be activated and a message could be sent to a driver on the highway or even a parked car. I remember driving in MA. a decade ago and a moving truck passed us with it's back door fully open. It was by the grace of God that nothing fell out. We tried to drive a bit faster to get the drivers attention but he was speeding. If a Blinkr system was built into the vehicle I could have sent the driver a message from my vehicle telling him to get off the highway and close your door. Simple as that.
@m4murice Great point...better yet, legislation that requires all vehicles moving forward to include a Blinkr system. Might seem far fetched but there was a time when seat belts were not mandated.
To your point, there are companies like www.vin.li that provide connected solutions to unconnected cars. We are actually in talks with a few companies in that vertical. This would be a great feature for Tesla.
I think the ultimate solution would be a combination of technology, regulation and big business to help ensure that all cars are connected to their owners no matter where their owners might be.
The benefits for this are endless and knowing that you can be held accountable for your actions on the road will make people more considerate in how the use and operate their vehicle.
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I can't use it here in VA. I'll get a ticket if I even touch my phone with the no-texting-while-driving law. That being said I can see it working and being fun if a passenger.
@waltspence Actually the app is set to automatically disable the reports input screen if it detects you driving. That way you are not at risk of texting while driving. We advise that users who are actively driving should pull over to a safe place to make their report.
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@riz Good stuff and very thoughtful and responsible. Thank you for informing me.
Maker here, would love to talk Blinkr and answer any questions you have about our product.
Most accidents are caused by bad and distracted drivers. Imagine a GPS navigation system that could reroute you to avoid bad drivers.
Imagine a world where any one can reach you directly to alert you of issues with your parked vehicle...a sort of Google Alerts for your car.
Most parents are anxious when their teens take the wheel on their own. Imagine if you could monitor what other motorists are saying about your teen's driving.
These are just some of the use cases for a platform like Blinkr.
Wildcard (Pre-launch)
Cyberbackpack
