This is a scientific American's 60 second science. I'm Larry Greenmin.

50 years ago, British inventors made and marketed the first electronic breathalyzer.

The alcohol gauge has become standard issue for U.S. law enforcement cracking down on drunk driving.

In a sign of the times, U.S. police are now hoping to enlist the so-called

textileizer. The device in development

by a company called Selbright plugs into a driver's smartphone and can tell

police whether that person sent a text, email, or some other type of electronic message.

Much of this information could be found by checking the device's call log and messaging

apps, but the text analyzer aggregates all of that information in one place.

Sending a reading a text typically takes a driver's eyes off the road for about five seconds.

At 55 miles per hour, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed

according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The NHSA reports that in 2015, nearly 3,500 people were killed and

391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving drivers who were

talking on the phone or texting. But several open questions remain related to the textelizer.

For one, it's not clear how officers will access a device if its password protected.

The textelizer's legality is also up for debate. In 2014, the Supreme The Supreme Court ruled that police officers cannot legally search a mobile phone

for content created within the past 180 days without a warrant.

Regardless, several states plan to test the device.

Over the years, all sorts of bad advice has been given to help people beat breathalyzer

tests.

Let's hope the only way people beat the textelizer is by keeping their hands

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