Trapster is a new smart-phone application that can update motorists in real time about construction zones, red lights equipped with cameras, and police checkpoints, all thanks to one man of Cardiff, reports the San Diego Union Tribune.

Trapster is meant to aid drivers, but there are concerns that this new dashboard technology will lead to distracted driving as motorists continually take their eyes away from the road to check for commuting updates on their phones.

Cardiff man creates new car technology, but could it be a driving distraction?

This San Diego car accident lawyer and our law firm want better, more secure drivers on the road, but how can we collectively improve our skills as motorists if we are constantly looking at the screen of a phone while trying to drive?  The number one top cause of car accidents, after all, is distracted driving.

The founder’s company says that they have 6.4 million users around the world, with another 15,000 to 50,000 new members joining each day.  16,700 San Diego motorists used Trapster in May, 2010 to report 1,620 car accidents, traffic stops, and speeding traps set up by highway patrols.  To say it is growing in popularity is an understatement.

The technology works with phones equipped with GPS which are updated with the latest road conditions that other motorists with Trapster send in and constantly revise.  Some say Trapster is helping motorists bend the law, but its creator disagrees.

“It’s users helping users, drivers helping drivers,” says the founder of the free app. “We’re trying to build the world’s largest drivers’ social network.”

And what about law enforcement officials, how are they taking the news that drivers now know where drunk driving checkpoints and speed traps are located?

“If it’s going to slow people down and change their behavior … then we’re thrilled to death with it,” Detective Gary Hassen and San Diego Police Department spokesperson.  Many law enforcement officials seem to agree with this statement, saying that if drivers are more wary of their surroundings then hopefully they’ll do a better job of following the law.

This, however, is still is not addressing the problem of potential driver distractions caused by Trapster.  It does use audio aids along with the visual component to assist motorists, but even taking your attention away from the road for a few seconds could be a deadly mistake that causes a wrongful death accident on the road.

Encouraging people to check for updates at the same time they are driving might not be the best practice, therefore exercise responsibility when using this new technology.  Should it becomes too distracting, putting your safety as a motorist in jeopardy, then perhaps it is best to keep your eyes on the road without relying on a mobile device to do the driving for you.

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