Traffic cops may soon detect if you’re texting and driving
Is texting and driving one of your bad habits? Police could soon be equipped with a hand-held device to catch drivers using their phone behind the wheel. This news became apparent after the US-based Virginian Pilot reported that a small tech firm is blending electronic cable repair technology with police equipment to create a new tool for law enforcement. ComSonics, which works to calibrate radar guns and other police equipment, says its technology is “close to production”.
Distracted driving is described as an epidemic sweeping our roads and the main culprit is texting and driving as it’s estimated that texting and driving might be the number one killer on the road by 2015. This topic is receiving much attention internationally and even car manufacturers have joined the call to ban drivers from text messaging with cell phones and other hand-held devices.
The device is based on sensors used to detect radio emissions leaking from damaged electronic cables and therefore the device will be able to show you which cars are actively using their cell phones.
ComSonics, the company, presented the new technology at a ”distracted driving summit” in Virginia, where it told delegates that there were several hurdles to clear surrounding use of the technology.
The company says drivers should not be worried about privacy issues as devices cannot decode information such as text messages.
However, another entrepreneur has proposed a different solution to texting and driving. His company, Katasi, has developed a system that will lock incoming calls or text messages to mobile phones while cars are on the move. Passengers will be free to use phones as the system can learn a family’s patterns and movements before deducing who is driving the car – such as a teenager driving home from school – while using GPS sensors to check if a phone is moving or stationary.