Car Driver Issued Ticket For Wearing Google Glass

Right now, the laws potentially regulating Glass are not clear, she said. “When I go driving later today, I don’t know if that was just an interaction with one cop” who decided to ticket her, or “if it’s an isolated thing or if it is more widespread. Should we drive with Glass now or not? People need to know.”

The ticket received by Abadie is believed to be the first one issued by a California Highway Patrol officer for a Google Glass violation, the CHP told the Los Angeles Times. “CHP spokesman Jake Sanchez, in the San Diego office, said that while there has not been a specific directive to patrol officers about Google Glass, discouraging distracted driving is a priority,” the paper reported. “Anything that takes your attention away from driving – putting on makeup, eating food, talking to a passenger, watching a video, talking on the phone – is dangerous,” Sanchez  told the paper.

Individual officers have leeway in issuing a ticket for distracted driving, in this case in addition to a speeding violation, Sanchez told The Times. “It’s every officer’s own judgement on whether the law has been violated,” he said.

Driving Ban?

The topic of Google Glass potentially being worn by drivers was raised in March in West Virginia, where a state legislator introduced a bill that would have banned driving by persons wearing head-mounted displays, including Google Glass. But the bill stalled and never came up for a vote this year.

The proposed ban on driving while wearing head-mounted displays was introduced in the state’s legislature by Gary Howell, a Republican state representative in West Virginia’s 56th district. Howell’s main concern with the devices is that they create safety issues such as driver distraction, especially for younger, less-experienced drivers who might be among the users most likely to buy such technology. The proposed West Virginia law would have implemented a fine of $100 (£62) for a first offence, and $200 (£125) to $300 (£187) fines for subsequent offences.

Google Glass has been a topic of conversation among techies since news of it first arrived in 2012. The first Google Glass units began shipping in April 2013 to developers who signed up at the June 2012 Google I/O conference to buy an early set for $1,500 (£936) for testing and development, at which it was the hit of the conference. Google also then began shipping Glass units to lucky users who were selected in the #ifihadglass contest for the opportunity to buy their own early versions of Glass.

Each Google Glass device includes adjustable nose pads and a high-resolution display that Google said is the equivalent of a 25-inch high-definition screen from 8 feet away. The glasses also feature a built-in camera that takes 5-megapixel photos and video at 720p. Audio is delivered to wearers through their bones, using bone-conduction transducers.

In February 2013, Google expanded its nascent test project for its Glass eyewear-mounted computer by inviting interested applicants to submit proposals for a chance to buy an early model and become part of its continuing development. In March, Google also began notifying a pool of applicants who were selected to purchase the first 8,000 sets of Google Glass when they become available for real-world use and testing later this year by consumers. Those selected applicants have been receiving their units in waves.

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Originally published on eWeek.