A Google Glass Explorer named Cecilia Abadie ran afoul of the California Highway Patrol last night, and came away with a ticket for distracted driving.
The culprit? Her Google Glass, which the officer saw as equivalent to
driving with a TV screen blocking her view. The consequences for Abadie
are likely to be minor, but the incident raises lingering questions
about the legal status of Glass on the road at a time when the device is
moving ever closer to mainstream use.
The main item on the ticket
is for speeding, so it seems likely Abadie wasn't pulled over
specifically for wearing Glass, but it's a sign of how far many
institutions still have to go before they're willing to accept everyday
use. While proponents claim
the device doesn't distract drivers, both Delaware and West Virginia
have passed laws against using Glass and other wearables on the road. In
Abidie's case, the relevant law may have been a state ordinance against
viewing monitors installed in a driver's field of vision, although
absent any court ruling, it's still unclear whether the law applies to
Google Glass.
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