State lawmakers in Albany are considering a new law to crack down on texting and driving.

If approved, it would allow police to use new technology to scan drivers' phones on the side of the road to see if they broke the law.

The "textalyzer" is a device used to check a driver's smartphone to see if they were texting moments before an accident. The device would be used in a way similar to a Breathalyzer.

Under the proposed bill, drivers who do not comply with the textalyzer test could risk losing their license.

Alec Slatky, of the American Automobile Association, has concerns over the wording of the legislation. He says one problem is that the device would not be able to discern exactly who was using a phone at a particular time. He also says that New York state law currently does not prohibit texting or using a phone while at a stop light.

AAA says that police should focus on ticketing people who text and drive before a crash, not after one.

But some people support the idea.

"If a crash were serious enough...that they could prove they were doing something wrong just like drinking and driving, I think it would be good," says Hicksville resident Ronnie Lovisa.

The bill is the result of intense lobbying by a Chappaqua man whose son was killed by a distracted driver in 2011. The measure has passed the state Senate's transportation committee and is now being considered by a counterpart committee in the Assembly.