New device being developed to help catch texting drivers

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LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS1130) – Police could soon be able to use a “texter detector” to nab distracted drivers who are use mobile phones behind the wheel.

The device is in development in the US and many police forces in the States have expressed interest in testing out the prototype.

“The device will be able to distinguish the different frequencies emitted from a vehicle when an individual texts, makes a phone call, or uses data on their phone,” says Malcolm McIntyre with ComSonics, based in Virginia.

A prototype of the detector is still being tested and McIntyre says they’re working out some of the bugs, but they hope to get  the production stage soon.

“We have over 20 departments willing to do testing on it,” he tells News1130. “They are certainly very interested in seeing it developed because they see the need for it in their daily jobs and certainly understand the difficulty they have in enforcing the laws.”

Constable Ian McDonald with the Abbotsford Police Department says the technology shows promise.

“One of the concerns I would have, though, is a signal being emitted from a vehicle in and of itself wouldn’t prove that a driver is texting or engaging in distracted driving. I still think it will come down to good old fashioned police work; there will have to be some other corroborating evidence that is going to prove that we are dealing with a distracted driver,” says McDonald.

Much of that corroborating evidence comes from officers observing drivers either with their naked eyes or using binoculars or video equipment to definitively see if a driver has a phone in hand.

“It sounds like this tool may get us closer to that answer, but I still think it is going to require that a law enforcement officer is going to have to make that observation,” says MacDonald.

He believes the technology is on the right track, but “we are still a few steps away” from being able to use it for every day enforcement.

ComSonics aims to make the final product available to police forces for about $2,000 per unit, but couldn’t provide a timeline for production or any launch date.

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