Roasting your mates in the group chat is a very important task that requires your full attention. And so is keeping your eyes on the road when you’re behind the wheel of a car. Both things need to be done at absolutely 100%, and therefore should not, under any circumstances, be attempted simultaneously.
And if Victoria Police‘s latest development gets up, the cops will be able to quickly figure out if you’ve been firing off some choice barbs whilst attempting to pilot your whip.
A radical idea currently being tested and mulled over by police would see cops conducting roadside text checks, much like roadside breathalyser tests, utilising new technology that would scan your smartphone for its texting and activity metadata.
The technology would be borrowed and modelled from New York-style policing, with the “textalyser” able to scan mobile phones for text records and timestamps to see if they have been used whilst the owner was driving.
The tech would also be used to investigate crash scenes in order to determine if driver distraction was a causing factor.
The latest Vic Police figures show that a whopping 34,392 drivers were caught using their phones whilst driving; a staggering 94 per day.
Under new laws drafted in New York, texters would be treated the same as drunk drivers, and any motorist who doesn’t immediately surrender their phone to police upon request would face instant license suspension.
Currently, it costs Victoria Police huge sums of cash to apply to telcos for the release of phone metadata.
Acting Superintendent Stuart McGregor stated that this technology, like any others developed, would be considered by police if it had demonstrated life-saving capabilities.
“We are interested in anything that could support us in our road to zero lives lost on Victorian roads.”
“We are constantly assessing technologies from all over the world to advance our road policing efforts here.”“No text message or social media update is more important than getting to your destination safely.”“When you’re learning how to drive or driving on your own for the first time, it is essential to devote your full attention to the task at hand.”
Srsly, pals. Put yr dang phones away and keep your biz at 10 & 2, yeah?
Dropping that hot fire zinger on your mate can absolutely wait.
Source: Herald Sun.
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty.
