Everyone knows that it’s illegal and unsafe to use a phone while driving, and yet people still use their phones every day while on the road. Even more troubling, however, are features of certain apps that encourage unsafe behavior while driving.
Last month in Georgia, two parties of an auto collision were nearly killed due, allegedly, in part to Snapchat’s speed filter. 18 year old Christal McGee was driving nearly 110 mph down a highway while attempting to take a selfie when she hit Wentworth Manyard as he was merging lanes. Snapchat has a feature that rewards the user with more points and rewards the faster they are travelling while taking a selfie. “This is a product liability case because Snapchat put something very dangerous into the marketplace without any warnings or safeguards, and basically said, whatever happens, happens.” said Manyard’s attorneys in statement.
Fortunately, new legislation is being considered in New York and possibly other states that may help in the fight against distracted driving. “Textalyser”, a new device developed by Cellibrite, may soon be used by police in New York as a means to prove that a driver was unlawfully using his or her cellphone while driving. The “textalyser” gathers information from a cellphone to determine when the phone was used and does so without collecting specific texts so that the privacy of the driver is still intact.
Legislation is currently being considered to bring “Evan’s Law” into effect. The law will require drivers to give implied consent so that the police can determine if the driver has used his or her cellphone during or just before the accident. If the driver refuses to give their cellphone up for examination, the driver may have his or her licence immediately suspended. The process is similar to a breathalyzer test.
Driving safely is all to often taken for granted in today’s society. However, one thing that is certain is that people who are distracted while operating a car will be held liable for any damage that may occur due to their actions. The textalyser legislation may be the next step in fighting distracted driving.
About Zac Pingle
