Phone App Helps You Find the Perfect Parking Spot

Finding a parking spot just became easier for drivers in San Francisco thanks to a new phone app that shows nearby available spaces.

San Francisco has found the solution to help drivers find that perfect parking spot: a phone app that displays information about available spaces in the area. Backed by the Transportation Department and the Federal Highway Administration, the system, which was introduced last month, relies on wireless sensors planted in streets and city garages that can tell within moments when a spot has opened up. However, safety advocates say the system could have drivers more focused on their phones than on the road. City officials agree, so they urge drivers to pull over before they check the iPhone app or to do so before leaving home--although by that time, the space will probably be taken.