San Diego Criminal Attorneys Blog
A woman cited for wearing Google Glass while driving in San Diego has been released from any charges. The woman was pulled over by CHP around 7:30 p.m. for speeding on Interstate 15 in late October, the same time that the officer gave her a ticket when he saw that she was wearing the glasses. This one-of-a-kind case, the first ever in the United States, has received national recognition, sparking the debate on whether Google Glass technology is a distraction for drivers. San Diego traffic court commissioner John Blair felt that there was insufficient evidence that the woman behind the wheel, Cecilia Abadie, was actually operating the glasses while driving. Also dismissed was the related speeding ticket, for similar reasons. The officer cited Abadie for violating California Vehicle Code Section 27602, which states that drivers can’t view television or video signals was driving. Blair concluded that each ticket had no proof beyond a reasonable doubt to support its accusation. According to California’s current traffic laws, Google Glass is indeed illegal to operate while driving, however in this particular case, Blair argued that the officer failed to present legitimate evidence that Abadie had the glasses in use while she was driving. The Google Glass features a reflective display screen on the right lens, blocking vision of the right eye and posing a threat to drivers. Abadie testified that she had the glasses in sleep mode and was not operating them during the drive. Google Glass wearable technology is Google’s newest experiment. They feature wireless Internet access, Bluetooth technology, voice recognition, and can perform tasks including responding to voice commands, checking email or airline flight times, and taking pictures or videos. The glasses are currently being tested by 10,000 people across the nation, and aren’t expected to become available to the public until later this year for a lofty price of $1,500.
Sources:
“Google Glass Driving Ticket Dismissed”- UT San Diego, January 16, 2014