‘Textalyzer’ could be coming to your local police department

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – If you’re involved in a suspected drunk driving crash, a police officer will probably use a breathalyzer on you.

But what if you’re suspected of using your cell phone behind the wheel?

A proposed New York state law could soon allow police to use a device that reveals calls and text messages.

The device is being dubbed the “textalyzer” because of its similar nature to a breathalyzer. Lawmakers say it would give police more power to hold a distracted driver responsible.

News 4 legal analyst Terry Connors says, “It’s clear, it would give an advantage, law enforcement would be able to collect evidence that may lead to a successful prosecution, which may help them in their investigation.”

If the proposed bill becomes state law, after an accident, police would have the power to ask you to hand over your cell phone, and connect it to a “textalyzer”. The device would then give police access to your cell phone logs, but not the actual content.

Connors says this bill will face a very tough up hill battle. He says, “A bill like this will get close scrutiny from the lawyer in the legislature and the counsel for the individuals who try to introduce it. So it would be tough to get something like this through without a series of challenges.”