Legislators in New York are pushing for the “Breathalyzer for distracted drivers,” saying that the in-development technology would allow officers to determine if a person was using their smartphone at the time of an accident.
The Times-Union of Albany reports that the technology is still under development by Cellebrite, a data-extraction company.
There are also a number of privacy concerns with the hypothetical technology. The New York Civil Liberties Union and other groups issued a memo opposing the proposal, saying it would be a violation of privacy. They also noted that police and prosecutors can already obtain carrier records with warrants and subpoenas.
(AP)
5 Responses
How can they tell if a person was holding their phone, on speakerphone, or on a Bluetooth device?
Coffee Addict, one could argue that any kind of cellphone conversation is distracting. I’m not convinced that it makes a difference whether you’re using a bluetooth or a handheld phone, even though the law differentiates. Of course, there are many other possible distractions — screaming kids, provocative radio talk shows, video billboards, etc.
Yehudayona,
We’re not talking distracting we’re talking against the law because if we’re talking distractions then ain l’davar sof
Distracted driving is a serious problem. There were recent reports that accidents involving drivers who were texting now exceed drunk driving accidents. I don’t know how a “breathalyzer” for distracted driving works, but if it does work, I am for it, and I am glad to hear that our nudnik-and-gonnif-dominated legislature is trying to address the problem.
Aren’t police also using electronic communication devices while driving?
Bluetooth, radios, cell phones, etc to communicate with callers and their departments…?