The 'Textalyzer' Can Prove You're Texting While Driving

It's illegal to text while driving in nearly all states now. But people do it anyway, perhaps because they think the likelihood of getting caught is slim, and perhaps because in some states its still a relatively minor infraction.

If you drive and text, you should know that the likelihood of getting caught and punished may soon go up. That's because now there's a device called a 'textalyzer' that can test your phone for recent use. In addition, the state of New York is now considering a bill that would put the offense of texting-while-driving on a par with driving-while-drunk.

The textalyzer is a product of Cellebrite, an Israeli company that is a leader in "mobile device forensic solutions". The textalyzer is a portable device that can 'read' your phone to tell exactly when it has been in use. The device could provide detailed information down to the level of content of the text itself, but for reasons of privacy its use will probably be restricted to just determining the precise timing of the phone's use. In an accident investigation, that would be enough for a conviction.

New York may be the first state to use the textalyzer to tell if drivers have been texting while driving and to establish stiff penalties for the offense. If they're successful you can expect other states to follow suit.