Snapchat Discontinues “Speed Filter” Linked To Several Fatal Crashes

The antics of teen drivers have been a source of nostalgia for former adolescents and a cause of dread for the parents of inexperienced drivers.  Some such antics, like piling more teens into the vehicle than it is designed to hold, or passengers in the backseat mooning the occupants of the car next to them, are unlikely to cause accidents and probably go back as far as the automobile itself.  Perhaps the most popular teen driving antic, however, is speeding, which is plenty dangerous.  This generation of teens is also prone to getting distracted by cell phones, even when driving at safe speeds.  Put them together, and you have a recipe for trouble.  Of all the shiny objects that flash on the screens of smartphones, Snapchat’s speed filter seems the most specifically designed to encourage unsafe driving, and to the great relief of drivers everywhere, it is finally going away.  If you have been injured in an accident caused by a distracted or inexperienced driver, contact a South Carolina car accident lawyer.

Good Riddance, Snapchat Speed Filter

Today’s teen drivers have had many of their lives’ milestones documented on social media.  Their parents posted pictures and videos of the baby’s first night at home, first smile, and first Christmas.  As the children grew up, the world got to see their first day of kindergarten, first lost baby tooth, and first bike ride, and all of these posts received admiration from extended family and from parents’ coworkers.  In this context, why not post your first video of doing 60 miles per hour in a 35 zone?  In 2013, the social media app Snapchat introduced a feature called the Speed Filter, which enables users to film videos while in motion, and the app displays how fast they were going.

While the Speed Filter was ostensibly designed to enable Snapchat users to boast of their track and field accomplishments and amusement park visits, many of them used it exactly the way you would expect them to, for driving at unsafe speeds while mugging for their phone cameras.  In 2021, Snapchat discontinued the feature; it claimed that the reason for the discontinuation was that hardly anyone used the Speed Filter.  Meanwhile, several lawsuits against Snapchat are currently pending; car accident victims and their families claim that the Speed Filter was a main cause of accidents that led to serious injuries and fatalities.  Getting rid of the Speed Filter will not single-handedly eliminate distracted driving, nor will it stop drivers from staging photos to post on Snapchat while driving.  It will, however, eliminate an especially dangerous distraction.

Contact Us Today for Professional Help

If you have been injured in a distracted driving accident, suing the makers of phone apps is probably not the solution.  Your Columbia car accident lawyer can help you find more practical ways to recover compensation for your medical bills and other accident-related losses.  Contact The Stanley Law Group for help with your case.

Source:

npr.org/2021/06/17/1007385955/snapchat-ends-speed-filter-that-critics-say-encouraged-reckless-driving