Safety in numbers is now possible even for people walking home alone late at night, thanks to a new app that can call for help in an emergency.
A group of college students from the University of Michigan developed a tracking app in response to the increase of crime on their campus. It was originally developed for campus students only, but has since been expanded to more than 180 countries, including Australia.
The Companion app uses GPS tracking to set a route to your end destination, which you can then request a friend to “virtually” walk you home by following your journey online.
If something does go wrong, Companion can notify the following friend in as little as 15 seconds, the app’s co-developer Lexie Ernst said.
“If a walker goes off route, doesn’t make it to their destination on time, falls, starts running, or has their headphones yanked out, Companion checks in to make sure that the user is OK,” she said.
“If a user does not respond that they are OK within the allotted 15 seconds, the contacts they originally selected are notified to check in on them. “
If the walker doesn't respond within the 15 seconds, the companion can turn their phone into an alarm.
And the developers say a feature called “I feel nervous” can help police pinpoint areas in cities where people feel particularly unsafe.
“It is our hope to use this ‘nervous’ data to work with public safety departments in order to identify areas of concern, and to ultimately make communities at large safer,” Ms Ernst said.
“We’ve seen parents using Companion with their young children who walk alone to a bus stop early in the morning, people using it with their elderly parents, or grandparents, who they like to stay in touch with, young professionals using our app in bustling cities, and now, with international capabilities, we’ve seen people using it with family and friends who are traveling all over the world in over 180 countries.”
While NSW Police encourage any extra method to stay safe while walking home alone, they recommend taking the usual safety precautions as well.
“Always walk straight home or to the place you are walking to. Walk near busier roads and streets, or use paths where there are lots of other people. Know where safe places are – a shop, service station, police station. If you are scared and can use a phone, call 000 and tell them you are scared,” a NSW Police spokeswoman told SBS.
The State Emergency Services (132 500) and Police Assistance Line (131 444) can also be called for help, the spokeswoman said.
