In 2016, nearly 40,000 people died in traffic accidents across the country, a 14 percent increase over 2014 and the biggest two year jump in 50 years. Many believe that the rise in fatal car accidents correspond to an increase in distracted driving caused by texting behind the wheel.
Families who have lost loved ones to distracted driving would like to make drivers more accountable. Many support passing a law enabling law enforcement to immediately examine a driver’s cellphone following a car accident to determine if they were tapping, swiping or clicking leading up to a crash, much like a sobriety test checks for impairment.
Some are working with developers to create and market what some are calling a breathalyzer for texting, nicknamed “textalyzer,” a tool that will enable law enforcement to detect texting while driving on the spot, which is prohibited in at least 46 states.
Opponents to the idea, are quick to note that police must have owners’ consent or a warrant to get cellphone records, which protects an individual’s constitutional right to privacy. They believe that empowering police to use technology such as a textalyzer goes too far – every fender bender would provide an opportunity to pry into a driver’s personal information.
Proponents say privacy concerns are inflated as a textalyzer is designed to determine usage, not access data. If it is determined a driver used the phone at the time of an accident, investigators can decide to get a warrant to uncover additional information. They say the technology may help to deter drivers from texting while driving in the first place and help law enforcement track the scope of the problem so that a solution can be found.
Iowa Texting While Driving Car Accident Lawyers
With so many traffic related injuries and fatalities attributed to distracted driving, the epidemic of texting while driving must stop to prevent more accidents from occurring. If you or a family member have been injured in an Iowa motor vehicle accident due to the negligence of another driver, contact the Des Moines personal injury Law Offices of Stoltzes & Stoltzes PLC. We represent Iowans who have been injured by distracted, impaired, or reckless drivers to get the compensation they need to recover. Call us for immediate assistance today at 515-244-1473.
