eOntarioNow: NEW YORK — A bill to let the police in the United States scan drivers’ cell phones after a crash is gaining steam in Albany, but it has privacy advocates worried.
On Monday, lawmakers brought a prototype “textalyzer” to Albany to demonstrate what the police would be able to do at the roadside if the bill passes, reports CBS reports.
Much like a breathalyzer detects whether a driver is drunk, a so-called “textalyzer” would determine if a person was on the phone at the time of the crash.
The new “textalyzer” technology is modeled after the Breathalyzer, and would determine if you had been using your phone illegally on the road.
Deaths went up 10% in 2015, despite continuing increases in safety technology. What is being done right now in terms of PSAs is not sufficient. Basically, personal responsibility is not being taught or enforced. I don’t like government intrusive solutions, but something needs to change.
Like many of us, I spend quite a bit of time on the road, and I know I see drivers that are paying more attention to their phones than they do the road. In fact just a couple days ago I was following a car that nearly was head on’d by an oncoming vehicle. Within seconds the car past me and the driver already had their head down looking at the phone. WTF is so important?
This whole cell phone while driving thing is a hot item with me.
1.) People goofing with their phones cost me time.
2.) People goofing with phones nearly kill me every day.
3.) People goofing with phones, when called out, have rages and try to kill me.
4.) I consider myself to be an above average driver, I know my vehicle, I know my ability. Yet I cannot safely drive a vehicle and manipulate a phone.
I don’t like more laws on the books, but this is a relatively new technology, so a new law or enforcement may be appropriate. I have at times needed to use my phone while driving, however I make it short and sweet. Be there in 5, etc.
I recently got back into motorcycles, I have a supermotard, it’s tall like me. I see into cars on the road very well and it is disgusting to see people flipping through their phones. It’s not a quick glance, it’s not a quick note, these people are actively engaged in something like this site. Also while riding, I’m a lot more aware of oncoming traffic and the middle of the road. In the past 700 miles, I’ve had 6 instances where a vehicle crossed the center line and guess what was in the driver’s hand.
This is why I have a GoPro attached to my helmet.
I’d rather have drunk drivers on the road than people fcuking with their phones. There’s far fewer drunks to avoid!
I read this site and comment while, I drive, I don’t see whet the problem is?
Pft. It’s the texting, not talking. Crap, I’ve been talking since the early 70’s on a CB radio. Texting is different when it requires taking your eyes off of the road to type.
As far as GoPro’s, PFFFFFT! I’ve seen as many fooking with the damn things while driving as drivers taking photos with their cameras OR phones. Stop and take a FOOKING picture already! YOUR’RE interfering with my driving because you CAN’T maintain a FOOKING speed and weaving all over the fooking place! Get the FOOK off of the road! Stop and take your G.D. picture already!
Common Sense is a thing of the FOOKING past. Give the fooking camera to your passenger, a$$hole.
Me too, I’m doing it now. It’s not like you need to type anymore. You can talk to the phone and it will AAAAAAHHH SHIT! !!!!!!
I can’t see the damn cell phone anyway without my reading glasses then, I can’t see the road. I’ve found that if I use my laptop situated so it rests against the steering wheel, it accommodates both issues. So much easier to see what I’m typing and the road as well, when I look up.
I mistakenly left my cell phone at home last week. Most relaxing day I’ve had in quite a while.
I can’t wait until I retire and use my smartphone as a “smart fishing weight!” 😉 If you get the answering machine, I’ll get back to you when I’m damn good and ready to return your call… maybe!
Drunk is one thing, add in texting plus high on marijuana-the WA state trifecta of the perpetual lane drift.
BigGun,
I’ll probably keep mine active, in my mountain cabin, in Montana, just in case the wife or kids need to get a hold of me. I promise I’ll check it once a week.
People who cause accidents from texting or holding their cell phones to talk while driving should be immediately taken to jail for reckless driving, just like laws have changed over the years to take someone to jail for driving a certain amount over the speed limit.
Aah, what if you’re drunk driving and on a cell phone. You could alway testify you wouldn’t have done it except you were drunk.
I hope they all run off the road and just get
dead already.
What no one is asking, stupidly, is the validity and reliability of this technology. This machine is a prototype – because of the voracity of likely the insurance industry to find a reason not to pay out claims, or assign blame, this device is being proposed as something useful to law enforcement in determining something extremely important – the cause of an accident. This device, if it is indeed still just in prototype form, hasn’t even been field testing. I’m fine with new technology being implemented as a deterrent (although whether or not this will do is likely a matter for another debate, another time), but at least make sure the device is reliable first and is worthwhile to invest in.
I was involved in an accident where I was rear ended at a stop light by a texting/driving asshole in a big truck doing 60 mph. Now I’m partially paralyzed on the left side of my body, so I’m all for this. I don’t have a problem with voice calls, but when you’re driving you need to keep your eyes focused on the road and your surroundings 100% of the time. Want to text or update your fucking facebook status and just can’t wait until you get home? Then pull off somewhere safe and do it.
NO!!! Did you read 1984?
You can’t spin this as a positive, this is a negative move! Somewhere, as citizens, we have to make a stand and say ENOUGH!!! Sometime, we have to make OUR PRIVACY not only precious and personal — but OURS ALONE!!! What is next, drones watching every one of us? Our daily life will be public knowledge? No closed doors, drawn shades???
This needs to be as important, if not more, than innocent until PROVEN guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Give them any access to our personal information will not limit, rather IT WILL open a Pandora’s box.
Yea, and while they’re at it why not take a bone marrow sample, and harvest a kidney?
When you’ve seen a woman with her foot on the steering wheel painting her toenails, you come to a realization that it’s not paint, or cellphones, or other distractions; it’s the easily distracted mind of the dull-witted.
Problem with stupidity is it causes laws to be made that also infringe on the freedoms of those with a modicum of sense.
What to do, what to do?
Ever read “The Marching Morons”?
What about the maroons that walk over a cliff or walk right into traffic because they’re so engrossed with looking at their phone? Can we make the Darwin Awards into law?
Christina Ventura-DiPersia, The device is used by the police to “check” whether there was any activity on or before the estimated time of the incident. No personal information is gathered, only timestamps. Later, in a court of law, the argument is heard. Just like a speeding or failure to reduce speed ticket, a judge hears the case. If by chance the validity of the information gained by the device is ever questioned, the cellular network provider’s own records can be compared to the device’s records.
Drones are already in use to issue speeding tickets. No different than having a C172 with a state trooper inside operating a VASCAR.
I do not like the privacy intrusion either, but there’s a simple solution in this situation to never having to give up my privacy. Don’t use the phone while driving!
My brother-in-law of 30-some years died last year after being mowed down by a guy in a pick-up truck who was texting. Even before that, I never texted while driving. I pull off the road, go into a parking lot, whatever. I ignore the phone ringing unless I can pull over to answer it. I have no desire to kill or be killed over something that can wait a few minutes to be dealt with. People are just sofa king stupid.
The last thing I want to do while driving is answer a text or email. Driving is my favorite excuse to the company when asked why I didn’t respond (in 5 microseconds) to the “very important” message, etc…