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ConsumerWatch: Mobile App Lets You Complain About Bad Drivers

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) -- Have you ever seen a driver do something dangerous, illegal or rude? A new mobile app called "DriveMeCrazy" could help keep drivers accountable.

Philipe Inghelbrecht developed the app, which currently is available for free for iPhones. Inghelbrecht said the goal is to help hold bad drivers accountable by "giving drivers feedback, but also by calling them out in public so they know they should behave a bit better on the road."

Users speak or type the offender's license plate into their mobile device, and "flag" the other driver. The app can also be used to compliment or thank another driver, or to flirt. The message and the corresponding license plate are then posted on the app's site for all to see, including parents, police and insurance companies.

"It doesn't mean they can use the data, but if they (insurance companies) want to take a quick peek at your driving record, as reported by a fellow motorist, they can do it," Inghelbrecht told CBS 5 Consumerwatch.

Rebecca Jeschke of the Electronic Frontier Foundation says that's just one of several concerns. "You combine this with things like Foursquare and Facebook and the GPS on your phone and Fastrak and you have quite a complete picture of your physical location and traveling habits," Jeschke said.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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