New SDOT app wants to track how you drive to improve safety

SEATTLE — SDOT's new app is called "Seattle's Safest Driver," and the app is essentially a two-month-long contest to win that title.

“It tracks all your trips and how safely you’re driving,” said Scott Kubly, SDOT’s director of transportation.

A few of the things it monitors are your speed, hard braking, or if you’re using your phone, and gives you a score out of 100.

"It's really just being used for the city to help encourage people to drive safer," Kubly said. 
At the end of the competition, the safest driver wins $2,000 cash.

There’s also a $1,000 second prize, $500 third prize, and three $50 prizes every two weeks during the two-month competition. The prize money comes from Pemco Insurance.

But the app does leave drivers with questions.

“What happens to the data?” said Carl Dominguez, a Seattle driver.

“I would say that it would be kind of unnerving to have somebody kind of big brothering, and also would be afraid if you could get in trouble for something. Like if they could use it as evidence against you for a ticket,” said Anna Coleman, another driver.

SDOT says you don’t have to worry.

“We’re not using it to do any enforcement,” Kubly said. “Nobody is getting a ticket from this.”

“That’s a huge relief, actually. Now that I know that, I wouldn’t mind downloading the app,” said Latif Ba, another Seattle driver. He said he recently heard about the app but initially thought it would be tied to WSDOT and rates.

SDOT says the data will also be used to help improve street designs.
"We would just look at that data then say, okay what about that street is encouraging people to speed at that location?" Kubly explained

The city says 2016 saw the biggest increase in serious and fatal crashes in more than 50 years. The biggest causes—distracted driving, and speeding. So it hopes this app will make you more aware of what you’re doing wrong.

“It’s eye opening, I’ve always considered myself a slow and safe driver, and I’ve had a few instances where I’m speeding,” Kubly said. “So I have to make sure to pay a little more attention to the speedometer.”

The competition runs through Jan. 14. The “Seattle’s Safest Driver” app is available to download on Google Play and the Apple App store.

Cox Media Group