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Illinois Lawmaker Wants To Ban Google Glass While Driving

By Chuck Sudo in News on May 20, 2014 4:15PM

Now that Google Glass is becoming more prevalent in our society (for the people who can afford the $1,500 to buy a pair) one Illinois lawmaker is pushing to prevent Google Glass owners from becoming full-on “glassholes.”

State Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) introduced legislation to ban Google Glass users from wearing the devices while driving. Silverstein is moving forward with Senate Bill 2632 even though Google Glass isn’t available for sale in Illinois yet. Now not wearing a computer interface that can give a user directions while steering two tons of metal at high speed seems like common sense.

But there are people out there who claim wearing Google Glass is no more distracting than having a GPS unit on the dashboard of a motor vehicle while also serving as a hands-free mobile device. State law currently prohibits drivers from having televisions and video screens in one’s of sight while driving but the Illinois Secretary of State’s office is uncertain if Google Glass would fall within these restrictions. So maybe using Google Glass to pull up directions driving is good; using it to share a cat video on YouTube while driving is bad. Welcome to the Internet Age, Illinois!

Google, in response to the bill, is sending representatives to Springfield to show the General Assembly how Google Glass works. Silverstein remains adamant he can’t be swayed.

"I think it's just a safety concern. This is potentially more distracting than texting and driving. It's in your peripheral vision."

Then there’s proving whether or not a Google Glass set is activated while driving if a motorist is pulled over. The Tribune noted a case in San Diego where a woman who was ticketed for driving while wearing Google Glass had her citation dismissed because police couldn’t prove she was using the device at the time.