POSTED BY Stephanie Surette
Last week, a California woman received a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving. Google Glass is a wearable computer that looks like a pair of eyeglasses and the device’s display is above the wearer’s right eye. The driver was originally pulled over for speeding but she ended up with a different ticket – one for having a monitor in the car that is visible to the driver.
The California law that spurred this ticket was California Vehicle Code Section 27602, which states that “a person shall not drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast….is located in the motor vehicle…[and the] display is visible to the driver while driving the motor vehicle.”
The driver claims that her Google Glass was not on when she was pulled over, but California’s law appears to be broad enough to cover Google Glass. One blogger argues that Google Glass is safe to drive with because it’s hands-free, and it doesn’t block your view. If you’re using it as a navigation tool while driving, it may be safer that using a traditional GPS because you never have to take your eyes off the road. The screen portion of Google Glass can be turned off and the device can instead give the driver turn by turn voice instructions.
While is it understandable that law enforcement is concerned that Google Glass could be a distraction for drivers, the issue can only be expected to grow. Currently, the device is available to “explorers” and the price tag hoovers around $1,500. It is rumored that it will be available to the public next year with a price tag in the $300 dollar range. Given the novelty of the item, many more people could be owners of Google Glass around this time next year. Additionally, a company is currently working on manufacturing prescription lenses for the device, meaning that people could use Google Glass instead of traditional corrective eyewear.
Police departments across the country will be put in a difficult position if Google Glass takes off. Officers may not be able to tell if a driver is actively using Google Glass, or if they’re being used as prescription lenses. State driving laws are trying to keep up with technology by prohibiting drivers from watching movies/TV while driving in the name of safety, but this device goes beyond that. Google Glass could also be corrective lenses for some drivers, which is also an important safety concern. Police officers may have to make judgment calls on the road if state laws do not carve out some exceptions for Google Glass.
