Risk Mitigation for SnapChat
When Selfies Go Wrong
Snapping and driving is incredibly dangerous. In our mock image we’ll say it’s “okay” because we’re assuming the passenger was taking the selfie and the driver had their hands on 10 & 2 with both eyes on the road.
So many Snapchat users decide that what they see while driving is of utmost importance to record and blast out to their friends. Unfortunately these users, a lot of the times, are by themselves. We’ve yet to see in the news a fatality caused by a driver using Snapchat, but numerous fatalities have been documented of people recording on Facebook Live and other mediums.
The U/X Idea
Add a pop-up notification that requires a user to confirm if they are a passenger of a moving vehicle before being allowed to Snap a story.
The User Experience Problem
The problem is that too many people become conditioned to it being okay to Snap & Drive. Even though there are laws against using a cell phone while driving, people still decide to use their phone while driving. This can be due to a number of reasons, some of which are related to principles of social conformity - a.k.a. monkey see monkey do.
Now people are at a greater risk, whether they know it or not, of causing an accident. They may not knowingly like this feature, but their loved ones will. Similarly this puts your company at a greater legal risk of providing services that perpetuate using a phone while driving. You might be unwittingly able to deny knowledge that the individual was driving, but you also track miles per hour on the phone which is available via one of your filters… so good luck denying that in court.
The U/X Solution
If Snapchat notices a user is moving faster than the speed of a bicycle, show a pop-up to confirm that whoever is snapping is a passenger.
For users under the driving age or who do not have a vehicle, have an option where the user can mark this information so that Snapchat does not show the pop-up on subsequent attempts to take a Snapchat while on public transportation or a parent/friend is driving.
This is a feature that shows you care about the safety of your users, could mitigate legal risk for potential lawsuits, and can save lives.
Other Potential U/X Feature
Allow users to report individuals who are clearly Snapchatting and driving by themselves. People will find ways to circumvent the apps notification system. Allowing users to report others could save additional lives. No one likes tattletales and snitches get stitches, but breaking the law and endangering the lives of others is no laughing matter.
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