Distracted Driving: How Police are Detecting Texting Drivers

 Posted on August 27, 2015 in Personal Injury

The dangers of engaging in texting and driving as a form of distracted driving are pretty well known at this point, and so are the dangerous consequences that result at times in such scenarios. Not only is the act of texting and driving illegal in the vast majority of states across the country, but if a driver who is texting gets into a car accident as the result of his or her negligence and causes injury, he or she can also face serious civil penalties in the event a lawsuit is filed.

According to a recently published news article, police are coming up with new ways of detecting whether drivers are texting, which may also be helpful to other drivers on the road who may be able to take advantage of the same tactics in order to avoid a crash.

How the Police Know You Are Texting

There are instances where it is difficult for law enforcement to tell if a driver is illegally using his or her cell phone while behind the wheel. In other cases, police can spot clear signs that a driver is texting while driving. Here are some tactics that officers may be using in the constant battle against texting while driving:

• Officers observe the texting from an elevated vehicle in the next lane. Governments in some cities invested in new, larger SUVs for use as police vehicles in order to give the officers a better view of a driver’s hands. In some jurisdictions, this has led to a dramatic increase in the number of tickets issued for the offense than had been previously handed out.

• An officer stationed at a higher vantage point observes a violation and reports the same to a nearby police cruiser to issue a citation. Police may be on the lookout from overpasses situated near intersections, stop lights, or stop signs. They can often get a clear view of not only the vehicle, but the car passengers and in some cases the type of phone the driver is using.

• Officers inspect a driver’s cell phone records, particularly if the driver was involved in an accident and there is an allegation or suspicion of texting while driving. Also, in crashes that caused serious injury or death, a more thorough investigation into the accident will likely take place.

• Officers are reportedly trained to detect certain driver behavior, including head movement and facial characteristics, that likely indicate the driver is texting behind the wheel. One indication is when officers see a driver staring down into his or her lap.

Contact a Car Accident Attorney

If you were injured in a car accident as the result of someone else’s negligence, you may have important rights that need protection. Contact the experienced DuPage County car accident attorneys at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices today to schedule a consultation. We serve clients in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Kendall and Will Counties.