Before you decide to wear Google Glass to hold a conference call or check your email while speeding down the highway, think again. That’s especially true if you happen to live in Southern California.
Cecilia Abadie says she wasn’t even using the device when police pulled her over for allegedly going 80 mph in a 65 mph zone near San Diego.
Yet — besides the speeding, of course — Abadie says the citation clearly mentioned Google Glass. She was wearing the light weight frames containing the tiny computer interface while behind the wheel. However, she says it wasn’t even on at the time.
As might be expected, Abadie took to Google Plus immediately after being stopped. She wrote:
“A cop just stopped me and gave me a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving! The exact line says: Driving with Monitor visible to Driver (Google Glass). Is #GoogleGlass [illegal] while driving or is this cop wrong??? Any legal advice is appreciated!! This happened in California. Do you know any other #GlassExplorers that got a similar ticket anywhere in the US?”
Abadie told the Associated Press she would probably fight the ticket. (She’s talking, presumably, about the part that doesn’t deal with her allegedly driving 15 miles above the posted speed limit.)
So think carefully before donning your favorite wearable technology and climbing into the driver’s seat. Your friendly neighborhood law enforcement authorities may not take kindly to it.
Image: Google+
Aira Bongco
It seems like the authorities are not really liking the new gadget. It makes them feel more vulnerable to being watched. Even though it really does not do anything wrong, something that can be worn on the eyes can always be a threat.
Shawn,
This is really a tricky issue – we know that texting while driving is dangerous. I’m not sure whether it’s the same as Google Glass, but the cop has done what he has to do. It’s a new technology and as the negative impact of wearing a Google Glass while driving is still unknown.
My 2 cents.
Tyler
With Google Glass becoming more popular, it will be interesting to see what laws will be introduced to prohibit them in certain areas. I could see these becoming a big problem while driving or at a bar/club.