(Image source: Google+ / Cecilia Abadie)
BY JASMINE BAILEY
Is wearing Google Glass while driving illegal? Well, it seems the answer is yes after a woman in California got a ticket for wearing the gadget behind the wheel.
“Now, it did begin with speeding. But then the officer pulled her over, her name is Cecilia Abadie, and he noticed that she was wearing her Google Glass, and he gave her another ticket for distracted driving.” (Via HLN)
ABADIE: “He started to ask questions about ‘Why are you wearing Google Glass while you’re driving?’ And he was very like ‘Why?’ like it was a super crime. I got very shocked. I never heard that it was illegal in California before.” (Via CNN)
Google hasn’t even released the new technology to the general public yet, but Abadie is a technology developer and has been testing Google Glass for the company.
The officer who gave her the ticket cited a law in California that states that it’s illegal to drive while a monitor is running entertainment or businesses applications — something local attorneys say is broad enough to include Glass. (Via CA.gov)
“Any device that can display a picture or a video while driving has to be behind the driver’s head.” (Via KABC)
But Abadie claims the glasses weren’t on, which raises the question, how can authorities tell if they’re on or not? (Via Google+ / Cecilia Abadie)
If you aren’t familiar with the high-tech glasses, when they’re on, the user can see everything from directions to weather right in front of their face. They can also play music and take pictures just by asking the device to do so. (Via Google)
Now, Glass can do just about everything a smartphone can do, so should anyone actually be surprised it would be illegal to wear them while driving? Well, Chris Barrett, another Glass explorer, says drivers should be able to wear the gadget — even arguing they could save lives.
He told VentureBeat: “I started realizing I’m not touching my phone as much. … I hope it comes in under Bluetooth and wireless headsets. … I don’t see this as being any different than an on-windshield display that auto manufacturers have been putting in cars for years.”
He also advocates for a possible “car mode” with Google Glass, similar to airplane mode with cell phones — that way Glass can be used without the wearer actually seeing anything.
