It’s common knowledge that distracted driving is more than just a problem, but if people knew the extent and damage caused they would be shocked. The question now becomes, are we getting to heart of the issue?
Well, a leading phone and digital forensic and hardware company called Cellebrite is championing the cause with the formal introduction of a UFED FIELD series product line. They are calling the product a Textalyzer. The technology would allow law enforcement to detect whether a phone was in use at the time of an accident without access to a phones content, conversations, contact, numbers private data and such.
The problem has progressed past hands-free phone calling and texting. Now, as if texting and driving were not problem enough, the reckless behavior has escalated to using apps and browsing the web on smartphones while driving.
“According to the National Safety Council car crash statistics spiked significantly last year and that is the first increase after ten years of steady decline. Since drunk driving is down and today’s cars are built better than ever, the addition of mobile devices in our lives becomes the most likely reason for this sudden increase,” said DORCs co-founder Deborah Becker.
In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Despite this fact, and despite knowledge of the risk to themselves and others, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that 67 percent of drivers still use their mobile phones while behind the wheel.
Accountability exacts change. We are not likely to see significant change until we find a way to hold distracted drivers responsible, as was the case with drunk driving. If we judge distracted driving as an impairment, then we should exact similar penalties. This is quite possibly the only way to gain the attention of those responsible for causing damage and worst case scenario death.
Every year thousands of U.S. citizens are involved in vehicle accidents that resulted from distracted driving. We need to arm our law enforcement with the tools to make positive change in awareness, along with legislation to effectively enforce the rules of the road.
If you or someone you love have been hurt in a car accident involving a distracted driver, please consider seeking legal advice. We do not encourage merit-less cases but believe that you should not suffer financially due to the willful negligence of another party. Call N. Craig Richardson, a Lake Charles personal injury lawyer that will help to see justice served on your behalf.