Mobile Forensics – Data of Distracted Drivers
“The cell phone is probably the single most important piece of evidence you will find at a crime scene today.” – former FBI Director James Comey
As mobile technology continues to evolve and become an important part of everyday life, so does the importance of mobile forensics in criminal investigations.
Mobile technology makes so many facets of life easier. Letters traveling through the mail have been replaced by emails and rows of cookbooks replaced by apps. Little devices held in our hands and pockets have the power of unlimited information accessible with a few finger taps.
And yet, these mobile devices can be so…distracting.
Although they are an essential part of life, they have become a life and death problem when it comes to distracted driving. In 2015, 3,477 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers. It’s no doubt that distracted driving due to texting or talking on cell phones is a huge contributor to these cases.
But… questions arise:
Were they texting?
Was the driver checking for directions?
Was he or she answering an emergency call? Were they making an emergency call?
Sometimes the truth is a little complicated.
For distracted driving investigations, preservation of digital evidence will be critical in determining the outcome of your case. With the use of cell phone records and some data retrieval by mobile forensics professionals, a clearer picture is created as to events leading to the incident.
Here’s an example:
A driver, heading home from work, spots a car coming at them–the other driver with their head down, cellphone in hand. The other driver drifts across the lane and hits the first one head-on. Police reports are eventually filed, but the other driver swears that he wasn’t on his phone. Now it becomes a case of word against word. To ensure that justice is met, the help of professional mobile forensics experts is needed to ensure that the guilty party is held accountable and the innocent supported.
Seeking legal counsel that utilizes state-of-the-art digital forensics and behavioral analysis is the best way to prove your innocence. Cellphones and driving really shouldn’t mix, but if they do and the law gets involved, seek the right digital help.
Here is a video that addresses this issue from a law enforcement perspective: