Washington state is using cell phone data to figure out where people speed

[masraum]

They aren't tracking individuals. They are just looking at trends based on bulk data purchase.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a65124453/washington-state-patrol-cell-phone-data-locate-speeding-hot-sport/

Historically, it's been car enthusiasts of the particularly determined variety who have created technological ways to deal with speeding, with mostly legal radar detectors and extra-legal laser jammers being the most popular countermeasures. However, there's a new threat out of the Northwest to the lead-footed among us — and it might be one that isn't easily avoidable.

That's because the Washington State Patrol has revealed it will crack down on speeding by locating areas where fast driving is common using cell phone data, according to local NBC news affiliate KING 5. It sure sounds frightening, but it's not as Enemy of the State as it seems at first, as the way that law enforcement officials in the Evergreen State are using the phone data doesn't involve real-time tracking.

Instead, the law enforcement agency is analyzing cell phone data from 2023 and using that to identify speeding hot spots across the state, according to KING 5. After buying telematic data gathered by a group called Michelin Mobility Intelligence (yes, the same company as the tire people), Washington State Patrol officials have been able to determine where drivers were speeding, braking, texting and talking while behind the wheel. Essentially, the gathered data will be used to see where drivers have previously felt comfortable pushing the speed limit — and enforcement will be upped in those areas.

"This is so exciting to be using data that we haven't had access to before. This is predictive as opposed to reflective," Washington traffic safety commission acting director Shelly Baldwin told KING5.

Specific locations of increased enforcement include Interstate 5 from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Fife and from Fife to Auburn, north and south of Everett on I-5, and a 14-mile stretch of Interstate 90 both east and west of downtown Spokane. The data used to hone on these areas included over one million cellphone users in the state; however, It's not immediately clear if the data was limited to Washington residents, or includes all cellphone users that traveled through the area.

This is not the first time this sort of a surveillance state initiative has been pondered as a way to deal with vehicular use. A 2023 study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety advocated for the use of roadside cameras and cell phone data to track instances of distracted driving. IIHS research indicates that some drivers are using their phones for up to 3% of their total drive time, which is certainly worrying. However, the independent safety watchdog admitted that such practices were likely to be unpopular. How the residents of the Evergreen State react to this use of harvested cell phone data to better track down speeders remains to be seen.

[Arizona_928]

lol… Police state.

[LWJ]

I will show them, I have my tinfoil hat and faraday cage!!!

[Tobra]

http://https://mosequipment.com/products/mission-darkness-non-window-faraday-bag-for-phones

[id10t]

Screw with the data set ....

https://www.wired.com/story/99-phones-fake-google-maps-traffic-jam/

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Tobra

http://https://mosequipment.com/products/mission-darkness-non-window-faraday-bag-for-phones

Linkie no workie

[Tobra]

https://mosequipment.com/collections/faraday-bags

This is the main site

[cabmandone]

I'll clue them in.... everywhere.

[fastfredracing]

I'm glad I got to live in the time period I did ..

[masraum]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I'm glad I got to live in the time period I did ..

You're not dead yet, fella! But yeah, I understand.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I'm glad I got to live in the time period I did ..

Those old hot rodders were smart to switch to the jet boat scene.

When traffic cameras and cell phone data are used to track down people that open it up…

[Jeff Higgins]

This is the same data that is harvested from cell phones to feed traffic density information to apps like Ways and Google Maps. Can they target an individual cell phone, track it real time, determine who owns it and send them a ticket? I do not believe they can do that. Yet. Not so much a legal restriction (but it is), but more of a technological one. Yes, they can ping an individual phone, but from there, as far as who owns it, in in possession of it, are they the one driving, etc? Retrospectively, yes, we have seen authorities do that when they have apprehended someone of interest. That's a far different situation, though.

Insurance companies are already providing breaks to drivers who voluntarily provide this information through a monitoring app. "Slippery slope" and all of that, yes. Will we someday be compelled to be monitored in this fashion by our authorities, with ticketing authority and all of that? Guaranteed it's someone's wet dream. They are the ones we follow in the fast lane, who are driving 2 mph under the limit, with nary a car in sight in the lane in front of them.

[Tobra]

California has been working on it a while Jeff

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I'm glad I got to live in the time period I did ..

Yessir. I need to learn to meditate with this sentiment as my mantra.

[RBNetEngr]

I doubt that they can use this data to track individual devices. They could conceivably use tower triangulation to track signal changes and the rate of those changes as the vehicle moves, but it's not exact enough to determine the exact vehicle speed.

Now if the mobile companies could use this potential speeding vehicle info to then access the GPS data in the mobile device they will be able to get (and record) the same detailed vehicle speed information that your phone, or any GPS based apps, can obtain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Guaranteed it's someone's wet dream. They are the ones we follow in the fast lane, who are driving 2 mph under the limit, with nary a car in sight in the lane in front of them.

Yes, it's a wet dream for many that see $$$, but I suspect those are the folks that are hauling butt. Then when they get pulled over they give the cop the old, "do you know who I am" spiel because they make the rules.

Out of the folks that are left lane campers, I suspect 95+% of them are clueless goobers that have no idea that they are being twats. Some of those folks may get testy when they realize that other folks are trying to tailgate/push them and think "screw you, you can't make me speed up."

I think it's a tiny minority of them that are thinking "I'm going the speed limit, and no one should ever be going faster than that."

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

This is the same data that is harvested from cell phones to feed traffic density information to apps like Ways and Google Maps. Can they target an individual cell phone, track it real time, determine who owns it and send them a ticket? I do not believe they can do that. Yet. Not so much a legal restriction (but it is), but more of a technological one. Yes, they can ping an individual phone, but from there, as far as who owns it, in in possession of it, are they the one driving, etc? Retrospectively, yes, we have seen authorities do that when they have apprehended someone of interest. That's a far different situation, though.

Insurance companies are already providing breaks to drivers who voluntarily provide this information through a monitoring app. "Slippery slope" and all of that, yes. Will we someday be compelled to be monitored in this fashion by our authorities, with ticketing authority and all of that? Guaranteed it's someone's wet dream. They are the ones we follow in the fast lane, who are driving 2 mph under the limit, with nary a car in sight in the lane in front of them.

I’ll raise the stakes, all new cars come with cell service. All of this data is logged and would be extremely easy to pull and then fine. Reasonable articulate suspicion? Yeah, speeding…. We saw this avenue abused in federal regulations of new cars…


We’re not even talking about the LE skimmers that intercept communications before it hits a cell tower.

[David Inc.]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

I’ll raise the stakes, all new cars come with cell service. All of this data is logged and would be extremely easy to pull and then fine. Reasonable articulate suspicion? Yeah, speeding…. We saw this avenue abused in federal regulations of new cars…

Devil's advocate--can you think of a sound legal reason for this to not be done?

Aside from it being wildly unpopular, of course.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by David Inc.

Devil's advocate--can you think of a sound legal reason for this to not be done?

Aside from it being wildly unpopular, of course.

Same reason they don't use ezpass to ticket speeders, it would be so easy to use miles between tolls and distance.

As to those that don't think they can identify individual phones: Stingray Phone Tracker

Stingray devices, also known as cell-site simulators, are used by law enforcement in at least 24 states and the District of Columbia.

Police also use real-time license plate scanners. Currently fo find uninsured and unregistered vehicles, but set 2 up at a given distance, and measure the time......

[kevin993]

In theory, the data could also be used to validate whether the posted speed limits are appropriate. If there are few incidents but higher speeds, arguably the traffic has proved that maintaining a higher speed is "safe."

(Yes, everyone will joust over how many incidents is too many. Yes, they'll argue that people will just exceed the higher posted speed. Yes, raising the speed limit reduces the revenue. No, it won't happen.)