Honore Gbedze, sat in the driver’s seat both literally and creatively when he acted on his concern for public safety on our streets. It moved him to design the International Driver’s License Application (IDLA). With so many news reports covering roadside encounters that lead to needless violence, harm and often fatalities, he was compelled to find a way to increase safety for both citizen drivers and passengers, and our law enforcement officers.
Traumatic incident reports streamed across his screens as he sat watching the news at home and again at his desk as the publisher of Vancouver-based The Afro News. He was motivated to reduce the suffering, fear and harm. But Honore, a naturalized Canadian born in Africa, also experienced that nervous waiting in his seat, car window lowered, as a police officer approached. He anticipated the request that would come for him to reach for his driver’s license and insurance.
IDLS offers option to stay in safety of your car
In those moments, he imagined all the many ways this interaction could play out. It might have gone better or worse than the options presented by the safe and quick IDLS App he designed. ( iDriver License Verifier)
Imagine a scenario where standard procedure did not give rise to that tense time and space between a driver being pulled over and a police officer preparing to approach a vehicle.
Imagine eliminating or reducing the potential to over react or misconstrue the series of awkward questions, the tone or the perceived attitude. Each party potentially misreading body language influenced by caution, nerves, culture and prior experience plus those terrible and often tragic news viewings.
IDLA – International Driver’s License Application is under review by the team at Apple stores. Once approved, it will be accessible to anyone. IDLA is being met with great interest by police and ministerial safety authorities in both urban and rural settings in Canada.
Once approved and with formal uptake, it will launch and begin its work in the field to protect both officers and citizens. These are the basic steps in the process:
- Drivers and officers registered on the app can communicate from the safety and calm of their vehicles.
- Police officers access the driver’s ID from the license plate but can request insurance particulars easily through the app. Drivers can comply without any direct contact or exposures.
- The officer can verify what they need to know and in most cases permit the driver to go.
The IDLS is designed to eliminate or significantly reduce missteps and altercations due to misunderstanding, or interactions that escalate to dangerous scenarios. Fewer confrontational and uncertain interactions reduce incorrect communications.
All is on the record. The IDLS is encrypted and secure so user information is protected, and interactions are safe and confidential.
For more information, or to view the IDLS brief registration demo, you can contact Honore Gbedze, publisher of The Afro News at editor@theafronews.com
