What happened:
A West Virginia state legislator recently proposed a bill which would have banned Google Glassing and driving. Gary Howell introduced the bill because he said he feels the glasses will be just as distracting as texting and driving. But the House Committee on Roads and Transportation failed to take up discussion of the bill and it died.
Many people, however, are asking what are Google Glasses? And why would it be dangerous to wear them while driving? The glasses, developed by Google, are a wearable computer with a head-mounted display. They weigh no more than sunglasses. On the side is a touch pad for control, on top is a button for shooting photos and videos with the built-in camera, and there’s a small information display positioned above the eye out of the line of sight. There are multiple radios for data communication, a speaker and a microphone and a gyroscope. You can have live-stream video, and snap pictures or shoot some movies and share what you capture – all by voice command. The glasses also allow you to read text messages, emails and other social media alerts.
The glasses offer many options that smart phones do – but hands free. But it’s these options that are raising concerns that the Google Glasses will become another dangerous distraction to drivers who are wearing them.
Photo of a model wearing Goolge Glasses.
The Virginia Injury Lawyer Perspective:
Talking on a cell phone, adjusting the GPS, texting, checking emails – any activity that takes a driver’s eyes and attention off the road even for just a few seconds, has the potential to be deadly.
Our Virginia personal injury law firm has reported on multiple accidents where distracted driving was determined to be the cause. Many people, despite the statistics, think “it’s okay just this once”, with sometimes deadly consequences.
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