The Textalyzer - Coming to Police near you?

[GameBoy27]

Could be a new weapon in the fight against texting and driving. One question though, in the video the Cop says the guy sent an SMS at 3:00. Does the Textalyzer know the difference between sending a text using voice commands vs. physically touching the screen? As far as I know, you're allowed to use hands free voice commands.

What if you're parked, checked your FB, Instagram etc. then put your phone down to drive and were in a collision 30 seconds later. They check your phone and see that there was activity around the time of the crash. Now it's up to you to prove to the Police you were parked when you were using your phone.

I can also see there being a problem if there's more than one person in the vehicle. Hard to prove it was the driver using the device unless they were spotted doing so.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/-textalyzer-device-allows-police-to-determine-if-drivers-were-texting-and-driving-973144643943

 

[nervousintheservice]

There should be outrage about this. Handing your phone to a cop while they install spyware on it? I'd expect that in China.

 

[oldjones]

Could be a new weapon in the fight against texting and driving. One question though, in the video the Cop says the guy sent an SMS at 3:00. Does the Textalyzer know the difference between sending a text using voice commands vs. physically touching the screen? As far as I know, you're allowed to use hands free voice commands.

What if you're parked, checked your FB, Instagram etc. then put your phone down to drive and were in a collision 30 seconds later. They check your phone and see that there was activity around the time of the crash. Now it's up to you to prove to the Police you were parked when you were using your phone.

I can also see there being a problem if there's more than one person in the vehicle. Hard to prove it was the driver using the device unless they were spotted doing so.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/-textalyzer-device-allows-police-to-determine-if-drivers-were-texting-and-driving-973144643943

You make some decent points, but:

That 30 second scenario suggests you likely exited the parking space without signalling and/or without ensuring the roadway was clear, or at a dangerous rate of speed.

That's if you were got any distance at all from where you were parked, after you shut the phone off so it wouldn't distract the driver, started the car, then signalled, then did the shoulder check, then pulled calmly into the traffic lane, when you observed a gap become available.

If you didn't get more than a few yards, I'd say your 'accident' could reasonably be seen as the result of distraction by your phone.

As with Drunk Driving, the aim is to mechanize and streamline the proof-procedures because they're so subjective and variable. As with blowing over .08, if you're dubious about the machine, the solution is easy. Don't drink at all, if you're driving at all. Works for phones too; who has a FB or InstaGram that's worth a life? Wait until you're out of the car, and can give your FB 'friends' your full attention.

And you owe us at least a pause until driving has your full attention, before you start the car.

 

[Jasmine Raine]

The key word I picked up there was it records swipes. Meaning that if you are using hand-free, or Siri for example on an iPhone, you would still be ok because you are not swiping anything.

That is if it is tracking the swiping. However, without a search warrant, I can’t see how that will pass here.

 

[rhuarc29]

There should be outrage about this. Handing your phone to a cop while they install spyware on it? I'd expect that in China.

Haven't you noticed? People are complacent about their rights until it directly impacts them. It's the whole "if you have nothing to hide, why does it matter?" argument. It's only once they have their rights denied them that they understand why it's not about having something criminal to hide or not.

 

[Jasmine Raine]

Haven't you noticed? People are complacent about their rights until it directly impacts them. It's the whole "if you have nothing to hide, why does it matter?" argument. It's only once they have their rights denied them that they understand why it's not about having something criminal to hide or not.

I’m a rights gal. I have fought and won in many cases actually. People are so complacent that they don’t even know their rights or that they are infringing on someone else’s with their actions.

I would happily fight something like this. Just like I would fight a breathalyzer request an hour after I got home. Then again, I wouldn’t open the door to police period, but I would fight it.

Risk false arrest and more. But I have the luxury to do that, most don’t. That is the other part of the problem. Easier to just give in then fight.

 

[oldjones]

The key word I picked up there was it records swipes. Meaning that if you are using hand-free, or Siri for example on an iPhone, you would still be ok because you are not swiping anything.

That is if it is tracking the swiping. However, without a search warrant, I can’t see how that will pass here.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Another key point is that police still need a reason to pull you over, and ask to use the device on your phone. That's when the fact that it's in your bag, briefcase or the back seat comes into play.

Because of course, you weren't even thinking of using it while driving.