After a Kentucky motor vehicle accident, it can be difficult to tell if drivers were texting or using their phone in some other way, but if a new device is approved, law enforcement may be able to better identify this as one cause of accidents. The “textalyzer” can be attached to a phone to identify the last actions of the user as well as distinguishing whether the user was in hands-free mode or not.
An advocacy group founded by a man whose 19-year-old son was killed in an accident with a texting driver worked with a company to develop the device. The driver who was responsible for that accident told police that he had fallen asleep while behind the wheel. Police could not look at his phone without a search warrant, and the father had to get a subpoena for the driver’s phone records to find out that he was using the text message function when the accident took place.
Several states are considering the use of the textalyzer although privacy advocates say there is the potential for the abuse of civil liberties. However, traffic fatalities are on the rise, and it is believed that phone use is playing a part in some of those fatalities.
When a person is injured in a car accident, it can be important to determine the cause. An accident could be the result of drowsy or distracted driving or other forms of negligence. If another driver is responsible, and the insurance company does not offer sufficient compensation, the injured victim may want to have legal assistance in seeking more appropriate damages through a lawsuit against the at-fault motorist.