{"id":1598,"date":"2012-05-23T16:48:06","date_gmt":"2012-05-23T20:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parkingsigns.net\/?p=1598"},"modified":"2024-05-27T08:04:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-27T12:04:36","slug":"smartphone-app-combat-illegal-handicapped-parking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myparkingsign.com/blog\/smartphone-app-combat-illegal-handicapped-parking\/","title":{"rendered":"New Smartphone App Helps Combat Illegal Handicapped Parking"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 23, 2012 \u2014 Those who illegally park in designated handicapped parking spots and might want to think twice before doing so. The growing issue of able-bodied citizens in handicapped parking has outraged disabled drivers: such instances, they say, violate parking rules and regulations in the ADA. To address this concern, states have broadened federal rules for parking in handicapped lots to include \u201cenhanced\u201d signs<\/a> that threaten fines and towing. Such signs deter violators by clarifying parking laws as well as highlighting the consequences of violating them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \"Tow-Away<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"Disabled<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\"Handicapped<\/a><\/p>\n

Georgia State Sign \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Oregon State Sign \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Tennessee State Sign<\/em>
\n via MyParkingSign.com <\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 via MyParkingSign.com<\/a> \u00a0 \u00a0 via MyParkingSign.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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According to a local CBS report<\/a> in Washington DC, a shortage of normal parking spaces in the Washington area has exacerbated illegal handicap violations and even created a black market for counterfeit and stolen parking permits. Police believe that these permits are a hot item for thieves and cite an incident in which burglars smashed car windows to steal handicapped parking permits rather than valuables and electronics. In another case, police arrested a 19-year-old man who had stolen 19 parking permits. To clamp down on the black market and make it more difficult to counterfeit parking permits, MyParkingPermit<\/a> offers SecuraPass Hologram parking permits, pictured below, that are virtually impossible to duplicate.<\/p>\n

The latest addition, however, in the battle against illegal handicap parking is a new Smartphone app<\/a>\u00a0that assists disabled drivers. Right now,\u00a01 in 5 people need handicapped parking, but 1 in 4 cars that use disabled parking shouldn\u2019t be using it.\u00a0The app works to\u00a0aid disabled drivers by identifying and suggesting accessible parking through the Smartphone\u2019s GPS. The app would also permit citizens to enforce parking laws against illegal handicap parking by allowing one to snap a photo of the violator\u2019s car and send it to the police. If clearing up spaces for those who need it isn’t incentive enough, a portion of the ticket\u2019s revenue goes to the app user\u2019s favorite charity.<\/p>\n

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Parking Mobility<\/a>, the new app to protect handicapped parking.<\/em><\/p>\n

However, while this app might help in the battle, it has some limitations. For one, not all disabled drivers have a Smartphone. Moreover, chances are that disabled drivers are elderly folk who might be unfamiliar with the latest Smartphone technology. In addition, municipalities would have to incur the cost of paying for the app\u2019s server. The app also faces a legal hurdle since it can only be used in states that find the app constitutional. Thus, the best deterrents are handicap parking signs<\/a> with a clear warning of a fine or towing. While signs cannot catch violators in the act and inform the police, they serve as a preventative tool in discouraging would-be-violators from violating handicap parking rules.<\/p>\n

– N. Gilliat<\/p>\n

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