Could the “textalyzer” do to texting and driving what the breathalyzer has to drinking and driving?
This new technology could be used to determine whether a driver has used a phone to text, email or otherwise violate hands-free driving laws, which in many states even penalize drivers for holding a phone to the ear while behind the wheel. Failing to submit one’s phone to police result in a suspended license much like refusing to be breathalyzed upon request.”
In theory, when a police officer arrives on the scene of an accident or pulls a person over, he or she could use the textalyzer to tap into the phone’s operating system. This would allow them to see if any activity was performed while the individual was driving.
“We need something on the books where people’s behavior can change,” said Mr. Félix W. Ortiz, a Democratic assemblyman who was a sponsor of the bipartisan Textalyzer bill. Mr. Ortiz pushed for the state’s 2001 ban on handheld devices by drivers. If the Textalyzer bill becomes law, he told the New York Times, “people are going to be more afraid to put their hands on the cellphone.”
The textalyzer may not be the “end-all” to distracted driving, but many believe that it would increase awareness and raise the stakes.