‘TEXTALYZER’ WILL TARGET DRIVERS WHO TEXT.
THE STATE IS EXAMINING EMERGING TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD ALLOW AN OFFICER TO QUICKLY CHECK IF A PHONE HAS BEEN IN USE BEFORE A CRASH
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The device is called the “textalyzer” because of its similarity to the Breathalyzer, which is used to identify drunk drivers. Once plugged into a person’s phone for about a minute, it will indicate whether a motorist was texting, emailing, surfing the web or otherwise using his or her cellphone before a serious crash. The textalyzer would not access actual information on the phone, such as pictures, personal emails or web browsing history. The “textalyzer” is still some months away from being ready, according to Cellebrite, the Israel-based tech company developing the device.
WHAT IS N.Y. DOING?
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday directed the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee to examine the technology. “Despite laws to ban cellphone use while driving, some motorists still continue to insist on texting behind the wheel — placing themselves and others at substantial risk,” Cuomo said in a statement. “This review will examine the effectiveness of using this new emerging technology to crack down on this reckless behaviour and thoroughly evaluate its implications to ensure we protect the safety and privacy of New Yorkers.”
WILL IT HAPPEN?
Sen. Terrence Murphy, a Westchester County Republican, sponsored legislation this year that would have set out rules for the use of the textalyzer. The bill didn’t get a full vote, but Murphy said he believes it’s only a matter of time before New York and other states adopt the technology. “It’s not if, it’s when,” he said. “This will literally save lives.” Under Murphy’s bill, a motorist who refuses to hand over their phone to an officer could have their licence suspended.
WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS?
Digital privacy and civil liberties groups already have questioned whether the technology’s use would violate personal privacy, noting that police can already obtain search warrants if they believe information on a private phone could be useful in a prosecution. Many security experts are skeptical when it comes to promises that the textalyzer would only access information about phone usage, and not personal material, according to Rainey Reitman, of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates for civil liberties when it comes to digital technology. “I am extremely nervous about handing a cellphone to a law enforcement officer and allowing them in any way to forensically analyze it,” she said.
HOW BAD IS TEXTING IN NEW YORK?
Twelve people were killed and 2,784 were injured in cellphonerelated crashes in New York state from 2011-2015, according to figures from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research. State statistics show 1.2 million tickets for cellphone violations were issued in that same time period.