Snapchat speed filter removed following road fatalities – report
The social media app has removed a feature which some say encouraged unsafe driving.
Snapchat users will no longer be able to use the 'speed filter', with the app's makers removing the feature following years of criticism.
According to US media outlet NPR, a number of people have been killed or injured in car crashes while using the filter, which displayed users' speed to their followers using GPS technology found in smartphones.
Joel Feldman from American advocacy group End Distracted Driving has been lobbying Snapchat to remove the feature.
"Lives will be saved. Crashes will be prevented, but the lawyer in me says, 'My God, why did it take so long?" Mr Feldman told NPR.
In 2017, three men in the US died after posting a speed of 197km/h using the social media app. The crash was not unique, however, with similar incidents causing death and serious injuries due to drivers attempting to record their top speeds.
Following the deaths, Snapchat quietly capped the feature to 56km/h to discourage the practice while driving, but it has been revealed the feature has now been completely removed from the app.