Over the last several years, cell phones have become a huge part of the lives of most people in New York. The temptation to chat with friends, check work emails and post on social media can be too much for some people to resists. However, when a person chooses to do so while they are behind the wheel, they put themselves and everyone around them in danger of being in an accident caused by distracted driving.
In an effort to combat the huge problem of distracted driving, a bill is winding its way through the legislature in New York that would give authorities the ability to tell whether or not a driver had been using his or her phone. However, the legislation has some expressing concerns about privacy. Proponents say that the technology could be tailored to collect only time stamps and not personal information.
The technology has drawn comparisons to the breathalyzer tests that show whether a driver has been drinking and is being dubbed the “textalyzer.” Officers would plug a device into a driver’s phone and be able to tell whether or not it was being used at the time of the crash. Currently, authorities need a warrant in order to access a person’s phone records.
If a driver is caught, he or she would face penalties. Refusal to turn over one’s phone would result in a suspended license. More than 10,000 deaths are thought to result each year from accidents involving distracted drivers. People who have been involved in an accident caused by a distracted driver may wish to contact an experienced attorney.
Source: Forbes, “New York Could Adopt ‘Textalyzer’ Device For Busting Distracted Drivers,“ Janet Burns, May 15, 2017