As many California residents know, our state is strict when it comes to cell phone use while driving. California wants to ensure that its drivers are not distracted while they’re behind the wheel. However, motor vehicle accidents occur everyday and they’re often caused by distracted drivers. Distractions come in many forms, but there is a clear link between new communication technologies and distracted driving. In particular, Google Glass is making a lot of headlines. While this revolutionary eyewear might provide wearers with the “hands-free” and “eye-free” ease that Google promises, users may be at a heightened risk for distractions if they are using it while on the road.
Have you or a loved one been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver? It’s never too soon to contact an experienced California auto accident attorney. At the Appel Law Firm LLP, we know how important compensation can be for victims severely injured in motor vehicle crashes. Contact us today to discuss your case.
What is Google Glass Eyewear?
Many people have seen the advertisements for Google Glass, but what is it exactly? It’s a new kind of “smart” eyewear developed by Google. It allows wearers to conduct all the activities they’re used to engaging in on a smartphone, but through the visual field of their glasses. And it’s all hands-free; the technology operates entirely by voice command. According to the website for Google Glass, a wearer can take photographs and videos, share content, activate a GPS system, and even communicate through messaging by voice command alone. And all the while, your photos, videos, and communication streams appear in the corner of your vision. For example, Google brags that you can have “directions right in front of you.”
But is it safe to wear Google Glass eyewear while driving?
California Law and “Smart” Technology
According to an article in Reuters, a San Diego driver recently received a ticket for wearing Google Glass eyewear. The report explained that the driver was pulled over for speeding, and the police officer issued her a second citation for “driving with a monitor,” which violates California Vehicle Code Section 27602. The driver, Cecilia Abadie, is a technology entrepreneur in southern California. After receiving the ticket, she wrote an online post, exclaiming, “a cop just stopped me and gave me a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving!”
While Abadie’s citation currently is the only known “Google Glass while driving” ticket, it raises significant questions about the legality of wearing Google Glass behind the wheel. As you may know, California has strict bans on hand-held cell phone use while driving, as well as strict bans on texting while driving. And you can be pulled over for one of these infractions alone.
Google Glass and Distracted Driving
Will the use of Google Glass behind the wheel lead to further citations in California? According to psychologists, the eyewear may pose serious dangers if it’s worn while driving. Daniel J. Simons and Christopher F. Chabris, the psychologists who undertook a study of attentiveness that appeared in the New York Times, explained that Google Glass “may inadvertently disrupt a crucial cognitive capacity,” which can lead to “potentially dangerous consequences.”
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