New Radar Gun Technology Will Allow Police To Catch Motorists Texting While Driving

It should be common sense by now that you shouldn’t text and drive. Currently, 44 states in the U. S. have banned the practice and now police may be able to enforce the government’s harsh stance on texting and driving with a radar gun that will be able to tell if a driver is texting or not.

The radar gun-like device is being developed by a company based in Virginia called ComSonics. ComSonics calibration service manager, who spoke to The Virginian-Pilot, explained that the device will detect the distinct radio frequencies that will emanate from a vehicle as someone uses their smartphone. When it comes to texting, making a phone call, or even a data transfer will emit various frequencies that are distinguishable from each other.


(Credit: Whpq)

Detecting these frequencies is what ComSonics is focusing on in order to make a viable tool for law enforcement to use. It’s a method that cable repairmen employ when trying to locate where a cable is damaged. But while the device will be able to tell a police officer if someone is texting while driving, it will not be able to decrypt any information being transmitted.

The device, according to McIntyre, is “close to production” but has some legal issues to resolve as the company is waiting for legislative approval and adoption by law enforcement.  

However, we have one question. How will a policeman know if someone is texting and driving if they have a passenger in the car who is also texting?