New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers: Textalyzer for Distracted Driving
A New York man who lost his college-age son in a car crash recently developed a tool that may help police identify distracted drivers. The Textalyzer may become to distracted driving what the breathalyzer is to driving while intoxicated. Our New Jersey car accident lawyers advocate for this new technology that can prove distracted driving.
The grieving father, Ben Lieberman, suspected that the driver in the crash that killed his son had been using his cell phone at the time. He tried for months to obtain the driver’s cell phone records, only to find out that the phone was sitting in a junkyard. Police had never even looked at it. When Lieberman realized that it was nearly impossible for law enforcement to determine if drivers were on their phones at the time of a car accident, he felt compelled to act. Police officers have breathalyzers at their disposal to determine on the spot if drivers are impaired. Lieberman felt similar technology should exist to identify distracted drivers.
Over 60 percent of traffic accidents in the United States have a cell phone involved. In this country, one out of every four car accidents is caused by texting while driving. Every day eleven teenagers lose their lives because they were texting while driving. These are alarming statistics. We know that distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Police need to be equally as aggressive about stopping both. That is where the Textalyzer can help.
Evan’s Law
Lieberman partnered with a mobile forensics company to develop technology that detects if someone was using their phone will driving. The Textalyzer accesses a phone’s system log to determine when the person was typing or using the touchscreen. To protect the user’s privacy, the phone’s content cannot be accessed. Legislation named “Evan’s Law” after Lieberman’s son is moving through the committee process in the New York Legislature. If passed, Evan’s Law will give police officers authority to use the Textalyzer when they suspect distracted driving.
Forty-six states currently have laws on the books banning texting and driving, but the penalties are not nearly as severe as those that come with drunk driving. When distracted driving causes as many serious car accidents as driving while intoxicated, the laws need to reflect that. More needs to be done to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, but Evan’s Law is a step in the right direction.
New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers at Harold J. Gerr Fight for Those Injured in Car Accidents
If you have been injured in a car accident and you suspect the driver was texting at the time, you should seek the assistance of our New Jersey car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr. We bring more than 40 years of personal injury experience to your case. Call our Highland Park, New Jersey offices today at 732-537-8570 or complete our online contact form to schedule a consultation.
