Police May Soon Know When You are Texting and Driving

New Technology May Soon be Available to Police The ComSonics company is close to production on a hand held device that police will be able to use to determine whether you are texting while driving.[1] ComSonics is a small company that already has a strong relationship with law enforcement as it currently manufactures, repairs and […]

New Technology May Soon be Available to Police

The ComSonics company is close to production on a hand held device that police will be able to use to determine whether you are texting while driving.[1] ComSonics is a small company that already has a strong relationship with law enforcement as it currently manufactures, repairs and calibrates radar guns used by polices forces around the world.

The technology for this new device already exists and is used by companies to find leaks or damage to underground cables. Cell phones emit different frequencies depending on the particular function being performed. Texting emits a different frequency than data transfer or voice usage. The new device would operate similar to a radar gun and alert officers when a particular car had a cell phone which was texting inside of it.

There are Privacy Concerns with the New Device

The new device will not be capable of decrypting the information which was being transmitted via text. It would only notify officers of the transmission of information via text. I am all for reducing the incidents of texting and driving, but I have concerns that the new device would be somewhat ineffective. If there is a passenger, it will not be able to determine whether the text originated with driver or the passenger. In the event that the texting car had more than one occupant, would the officer use the positive ID by the new device as probable cause to seize the cell phones of everyone in the car to determine whose phone was used for the offending text?

There are Anti-Texting Apps

As with everything else these days, there is an app to prevent texting and driving. Live2Txt is an app that the driver turns on when driving. It can be set to prevent the notification noise/vibration for incoming calls and/or texts. Upon receipt of a text it will generate a custom message stating that recipient of the call is busy and will return the call later. DriveOFF is another application that automatically turns off all notifications to the phone when the phone is moving at 10 MPH or more.

The problem with the apps like DriveOFF and Live2Txt is that they require the user to decide to limit their cell usage. Teens, as a group, tend to text more than any other age bracket. Many, if not most, teens admit to texting and driving. This dangerous dynamic makes for a volatile combination of inexperience and distraction. However, parents can install an app called Canary which will disable texting and talking while driving. It can also alert parents when a child travels above a specified speed or outside a specified geographic area. The app cannot be disabled by the teen.[2]
It is Illegal to Text and Drive in Florida

Safety should be deterrent enough, but the sad truth is that many people are willing to risk the safety of themselves and others to text while driver. In Florida, it is illegal to text and drive. Though it is against the law and drivers who get caught texting can be cited, I a have never met an individual who received a ticket for texting and driving. I am not sure if it is not a point of emphasis or if drivers are simply adept at avoiding detection. I cannot imagine it is the latter since I observe drivers on a daily basis texting while driving.

Contact Jones Law Group

Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident? Contact an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury attorney at Jones Law Group today. When you contact our office we will immediately set an appointment where you will meet your attorney and be provided with his/her personal contact information. If you do not have transportation or you cannot drive, your attorney will travel to meet you and discuss your case with you in the privacy of your own home.

Whether you were a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or the occupant of car, motorcycle or boat and have been injured in an accident, you should immediately call an experienced personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg at Jones Law Group at (727) 571-1333 during regular business hours or (727) 753-8657 on weekends or after regular business hours. We will evaluate your case for free and you will never pay us a dime unless we recover compensation for your injuries.

Jones Law Group
5622 Central Avenue
St. Pete, FL 33707

[1] http://www.bbc.com/capital/specials/protection-now/research-technology/revolutionary-new-radar-gun-will-catch-texting-drivers_a-36-250.html

[2] http://www.verizonwireless.com/mobile-living/apps/apps-to-block-texting-while-driving/