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There is a bill under consideration in New York that would create a new method for penalizing texting and driving.
Some state lawmakers in our neighboring state are proposing a law that would require drivers involved in a crash to give their cell phones to police officers to determine whether the drivers were texting while driving. Law Enforcement officials would us a device called a “textalyzer” to check.
What is The Goal?
As reported by CNN, the goal of the bill is to give police a device that plugs into a phone and scans logs to see if a driver was texting or calling during the crash. If drivers refuse to hand over their phones, they would lose their driver’s license under the proposed bill — just as suspected drunk drivers are required to submit to breathalyzers.
How Did The Bill Come To Light?
The bill is called “Evan’s Law” after Evan Lieberman, who died at 19 years old from injuries he suffered during a head-on car crash with another teenager in 2011. Evan’s father launched a campaign against people who text while they drive. As a result, in 2013 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law tougher penalties for distracted drivers and ordered state police to conduct more checkpoints on roads.
This may prove to be an effective deterrent in the battle to get drivers to stop texting and driving. If so, hopefully it is a success and makes its way to New Jersey and across the rest of the country.
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