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States Planning Bills to Ban Use of Google Glass While Driving

Summary: Eight states have created legislation that would prohibit drivers from using or wearing Google Glass while operating a motor vehicle.

New bills have been introduced in eight states that would restrict drivers from using Google Glass when operating a motor vehicle, according to The Wall Street Journal. Not one of the bills has cleared a single chamber, stalling all eight of them.

A new research paper from Adam Gershowitz, a law professor from William & Mary, says that the bills would be difficult to enforce. His paper also suggests his own solution to the problem.

The alternate approach from Gershowitz would clearly ban drivers from wearing the glasses while driving and anticipating other forms of the technology entering the market.

The eight states working on bills right now are Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Wyoming, West Virginia and Missouri.

“A driver could simply say that he was only wearing Google Glass (perhaps because it contains his prescription lenses) and that he was not ‘using’ the device at all,” Mr. Gershowitz writes. “Indeed, a police officer who was observing traffic would have no way to know whether a passing driver was ‘using’ as opposed to simply ‘wearing’ Google Glass.”

The bills in Maryland and Illinois would prohibit drivers from wearing a device that is head-mounted while driving.

“[Y]et even those bills are inadequate because they apply only to head-mounted computers and would thus fail to prohibit smart watches and other technology while driving.” Gershowitz wrote.

His suggestion includes a two-part bill that bans people from driving a vehicle “while wearing a wireless electronic communication device” or “while using a wireless electronic communication device.”

A spokesperson from Google told The Wall Street Journal the following: “Glass is built to connect you more with the world around you, not distract you from it. Glass wearers should always use Glass legally and responsibly and put their safety and the safety of others first.”

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Jim Vassallo: Jim is a freelance writer based out of the suburbs of Philadelphia in New Jersey. Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and minor in Journalism from Rowan University in 2008. While in school he was the Assistant Sports Director at WGLS for two years and the Sports Director for one year. He also covered the football, baseball, softball and both basketball teams for the school newspaper 'The Whit.' Jim lives in New Jersey with his wife Nicole, son Tony and dog Phoebe.

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