Many Connecticut residents work in New York or at least travel there on a regular basis to see a Broadway show or dine in their favorite Manhattan restaurant. Despite laws against texting and driving, too many people just can't stay off their phones.
That's why it's important to know that New York lawmakers are considering implementing a "textalyzer." This would allow law enforcement officers to determine whether someone was texting just before or at the time of a crash. So are legislators in New Jersey and other states.
While police look at phone records, as one man who lost his teenage son in a crash when the driver of the car he was in hit another vehicle just north of New York City says, "Phone records…[are] tough to get [and] it's an agonizing process." He says that the driver's phone wasn't even examined for weeks after the crash.
The bereaved father, who had to file a civil lawsuit to get the phone records of the driver of the car in which his son was riding, has been working with Cellebrite to create a "textalyzer."
The company's device was recently demonstrated to state lawmakers and members of the media. The way it works is that a police officer attaches a cord to the phone, so the driver doesn't have to give it up and no warrant is required. The device shows what apps were being used at the time of the crash.
Distracted driving can be every bit as dangerous as drunk driving, and law enforcement and prosecutors are becoming more adept at determining whether a driver was using his or her phone when a crash occurred. If you are facing charges related to texting while driving, it's essential to have experienced legal guidance.
Source: National Public Radio, "'Textalyzer' Aims To Curb Distracted Driving, But What About Privacy?," David Schaper, accessed June 02, 2017