Google Glass and moving violations: There will be growing pains

[Preach2k]

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Making the rounds overnight on Google+ post from Cecilia Abadie, who received a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving. She puts it this way:

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).

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Is this the real reason Abadie was stopped, it appears — unless Google Glass caused her to break the speed limit. And folks are trying to argue that Glass falls under the exemptions for that particular California law anyway.

I think we should get used to seeing more stories like this. The more Google Glass drops in price the more purchases there will be. As with any new technology, there will be growing pains.

Is #GoogleGlass ilegal 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?



Source

 

[wardo]

I.would give someone a ticket in a heartbeat for driving with those things. Obstruction to vision is obviously true.

 

[johnomaz]

To be honest, I'm shocked the cop knew what Google Glass was. Also, why can you get a ticket for GG but not a GPS unit on your windshield? You could argue that its a hands free device. The officer had no idea if the screen was even turned on in the first place. It would have the same disruption in vision as sunglasses that have a printed logo on the lens (or rhinestones in the corner) or if you really want to argue it, the same as your rear view window which blocks a portion of your forward vision completely. You could argue that the new Cadillac's new vehicles equipped with their HUD technology is just as distracting as GG. I'd fight it in court. If you can, get some pictures of cops using their phones while in their police cars. I see it all the time. One more example before I submit this is the new motorcycle helmet from Skully. It has a HUD in it as well too.

 

[dgstorm]

Interesting story. Thanks for sharing this. I think she has a shot at fighting this. It probably depends on the judge she gets.

 

[KZIWarrior]

To be honest, I'm shocked the cop knew what Google Glass was. Also, why can you get a ticket for GG but not a GPS unit on your windshield? You could argue that its a hands free device. The officer had no idea if the screen was even turned on in the first place. It would have the same disruption in vision as sunglasses that have a printed logo on the lens (or rhinestones in the corner) or if you really want to argue it, the same as your rear view window which blocks a portion of your forward vision completely. You could argue that the new Cadillac's new vehicles equipped with their HUD technology is just as distracting as GG. I'd fight it in court. If you can, get some pictures of cops using their phones while in their police cars. I see it all the time. One more example before I submit this is the new motorcycle helmet from Skully. It has a HUD in it as well too.

^+1
johnomaz is right on point. Corvettes have had HUD displays for the whole C6 line and Cadillac introduced a HUD (the night-vision system) back in 2000/2001 so unless they are going to start issuing citations for all of these Glass should be safe. Though this is California so any common-sense or logic-based reasoning is excluded....

 

[xeene]

its california the most freedomless state in the country. cop would lose in 49 other states.

 

[SpeJ3435]

The only difference between Google Glass and a heads up display or a GPS is that Google Glass is both. If you really wanted to get technical, it isn't really a screen, but a lens. It is a hands free device, but to xeene, you are perfectly correct. California sucks when it comes to freedom.

 

[SquireSCA]

To be honest, I'm shocked the cop knew what Google Glass was. Also, why can you get a ticket for GG but not a GPS unit on your windshield? You could argue that its a hands free device. The officer had no idea if the screen was even turned on in the first place. It would have the same disruption in vision as sunglasses that have a printed logo on the lens (or rhinestones in the corner) or if you really want to argue it, the same as your rear view window which blocks a portion of your forward vision completely. You could argue that the new Cadillac's new vehicles equipped with their HUD technology is just as distracting as GG. I'd fight it in court. If you can, get some pictures of cops using their phones while in their police cars. I see it all the time. One more example before I submit this is the new motorcycle helmet from Skully. It has a HUD in it as well too.

Good point... or the REEVU helmet... has a mirror array built into the skull to allow the rider to have a rear-view mirror inside the helmet... I was thinking it would be awesome to always see behind you, especially on the race track where they make me remove my mirrors and stuff... Not sure how the law would see that though for public roads...

 

[xsylus]

It's amazing how many gadgets we ARE allowed to use in our cars. Most of the new tech in the dashboards of cars wouldn't even be allowed by the FAA due to possible pilot distraction... wait... what? :blink: So those gadgets that ARE allowed in cars are too distracting for airline pilots but they're not to drivers? As far as I'm concerned anything that takes even a fraction of a driver's attention away from driving is endangering the safety of other drivers.

 

[SquireSCA]

It's amazing how many gadgets we ARE allowed to use in our cars. Most of the new tech in the dashboards of cars wouldn't even be allowed by the FAA due to possible pilot distraction... wait... what? :blink: So those gadgets that ARE allowed in cars are too distracting for airline pilots but they're not to drivers? As far as I'm concerned anything that takes even a fraction of a driver's attention away from driving is endangering the safety of other drivers.

Good point. Or how about a person smoking and talking on the phone, leaving no hand free to use a damned turn signal? Or someone eating a burger while they drive? Same thing...

Cars are supposed to be for safe, comfortable transportation, or sports cars for that kind of driving. Not mobile restaurants and entertainment centers...

 

[Hugh Jass]

It's amazing how many gadgets we ARE allowed to use in our cars. Most of the new tech in the dashboards of cars wouldn't even be allowed by the FAA due to possible pilot distraction... wait... what? :blink: So those gadgets that ARE allowed in cars are too distracting for airline pilots but they're not to drivers? As far as I'm concerned anything that takes even a fraction of a driver's attention away from driving is endangering the safety of other drivers.

Pretty much sums up my opinion, all running electronics should be off to drivers. People are dumb and make enough bad choices without the help of tech. removing their focus entirely.

Makes me want to go to an oldschool vehicle and install of EMP bomber in my truck that goes off every 30 seconds with a 60ft field of operation.

 

[TJF2011]

To be honest, I'm shocked the cop knew what Google Glass was. Also, why can you get a ticket for GG but not a GPS unit on your windshield? You could argue that its a hands free device. The officer had no idea if the screen was even turned on in the first place. It would have the same disruption in vision as sunglasses that have a printed logo on the lens (or rhinestones in the corner) or if you really want to argue it, the same as your rear view window which blocks a portion of your forward vision completely. You could argue that the new Cadillac's new vehicles equipped with their HUD technology is just as distracting as GG. I'd fight it in court. If you can, get some pictures of cops using their phones while in their police cars. I see it all the time. One more example before I submit this is the new motorcycle helmet from Skully. It has a HUD in it as well too.

Ya I mean technically that is the law. But I dont know a cop would actually write that. I would fight it in court.

as for taking pictures of cops using cell phones? Says right in the cell phone law that they are exempt as long as the calls are work related.. good luck trying to prove that.

my OPINION... the lady probably pissed the cop off or he gave her a warning for speed and the ticket on the GG so it wouldn't go on her insurance.

 

[obxsalvo]

Why do some ( most if not all ) still have signs saying " all vehicles must stop for school bus's when red lights are flashing" because of the 10% of drivers that are ..... what is that word?

 

[Narsil]

Clearly, you guys who think driver distractions should be banned have never driven with children in the car.

I could sit backwards in my seat, reach around behind me to steer, and look through a mirror to see where I was going and be less distracted than driving with children...while eating a cheeseburger and talking on my cell phone. Ban children in cars. It's for their own safety.

 

[SquireSCA]

When we were kids, my parents told us to be quiet. If we didn't, we only got one warning before my father would use his mythical dad-strength to power his pimp hand and discipline us.

Car rides were typically quiet and uneventful as a result.