Police To Start Tracking Mobile Phone Related Crashes

from the get-some-evidence dept

There have been a lot of arguments over the past few years concerning just how big a distraction "driving while talking" really is. Now, we may finally get some more useful statistics than the anecdotal evidence everyone loves. Police in all 50 states are getting new codes to designate accidents where a mobile phone was a contributing factor. Of course, I imagine this will lead to a series of debates as well. How do they determine whether or not it was really the mobile phone that contributed to the accident, for instance?
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  1. identicon
    zenyatta, 4 Nov 2002 @ 7:46am

    determining whether phone was a factor

    I would imagine that's pretty straightforward: if there was a phone in the car at the time of the accident and a call was being made using that phone when the accident happened then the phone must be considered a contributing factor (few people maintain open phone connections without paying any attention to them whatsoever).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Joe Schmoe, 4 Nov 2002 @ 8:16am

    Re: determining whether phone was a factor

    All very true, but would require a time intensive, after accident investigation (requesting and checking of call logs) which would have everyone up in arms of privacy issues...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    LittleW0lf, 5 Nov 2002 @ 7:41am

    Re: determining whether phone was a factor

    All very true, but would require a time intensive, after accident investigation (requesting and checking of call logs) which would have everyone up in arms of privacy issues...

    Not necessarily, the other person involved in the collision may have witnessed the driver talking on a cell phone before the accident, as well as other witnesses to the crash. That is if witnesses remain at the scene (which always seems to be a problem.) I've been present during the investigation of a crash and have heard officers ask witnesses if either or both of the drivers were talking on the phone, driving eratically, etc.

    If a witness or the other driver sees the driver talking on a cell phone, and there is a cell phone in the car, it might be easier to get a warrant for the phone records than otherwise.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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