California driver pulled over for speeding, issued a ticket for wearing Google Glass

[Shawn Knight]

We expected Google Glass to introduce some privacy and ethical concerns once it finally launched but for one California woman, the troubles have already started. Cecelia Abadie of Temecula, California, was recently pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer on suspicion of speeding and given a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving.

Abadie posted the ticket on her Google+ page, asking if it was illegal to wear Glass while driving or if the cop was wrong. Her post has since garnered more than 500 replies both in support of and against wearing the device while allegedly speeding.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said the ticket was given as a violation of California Vehicle Code 27602 which makes it illegal to drive a vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen or any other means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal is operating and visible to the driver while driving the vehicle.

In a statement on the matter, Google said the product is designed to help the wearer be in contact with the world and not make them be distracted from something as important as driving.

CHP spokesperson Jake Sanchez said anything that takes attention away from driving – putting on makeup, eating, talking on the phone, watching a video – is dangerous. Furthermore, individual officers have leeway in issuing a ticket as it’s every officer’s own judgment on whether the law has been violated.

What do you think? Do you think Abadie was in the wrong by wearing Glass while driving or should she not have been cited by the officer?

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/54533-california-driver-pulled-over-for-speeding-issued-a-ticket-for-wearing-google-glass.html

 

[Burty117]

This could potentially be a toughy, I mean, If Google Glasses can have custom glasses in for help with your eyesight, surely it would then be safer to wear them?

If not though, I guess the better thing to do would be to simply take them off, I guess you could hook them up to your car Bluetooth and still receive calls etc... so it's not like it stops much.

 

[Guest]

Can't even read his handwriting, looks like someone needs to go back to school.

 

[Guest]

Cop was just jealous.

 

[Guest]

From the handwriting I'm thinking the cop used to be a doctor.

 

[RzmmDX]

You know what... why bother blurring out her address when it is clearly visible in her Google Plus page...

I blame ticket lawyers making it impossible for rich people to be fined for speeding because she was clearly speeding and all her concern was about the Google glasses, and so are most of the people supporting her.

Good job Officer for actually doing your job.

 

[TomSEA]

Was going to post the SNL Google Glass skit, but it looks like it's been removed from the ENTIRE internet.

 

[gamoniac]

Was going to post the SNL Google Glass skit, but it looks like it's been removed from the ENTIRE internet.

If you were using Google to search, that's probably explains it. Try Bing.

 

[insect]

Google is already working on solving this with self-driving cars.

 

[captaincranky]

Well, driving around with a HUD strapped to your face is bound to induce some serious, "paranoid delusions of Top Gun-hood"....

Google is already working on solving this with self-driving cars.

Right! When an individual indulges in this type of behaviour, creating your own problems, then taking credit for solving them, I believe the diagnosis would be "narcissism bordering on sociopathy".

 

[Tygerstrike]

Ok this argument is sheer stupidity. If you took out the google glasses in this equation then she was STILL SPEEDING!! And that will get you a ticket. Its only compounded by the fact that she was wearing GG. Its no different then texting and driving. Sure her head would be in the right position to view whats comming at her, but her FOCUS is on the glasses not on the road. I dont know about you but I would be really pissed if a loved one of mine was killed because of stupidity such as this driver has shown. You dont have to be online all the time. You dont have to be in contact EVERY second. Driving and the safety of yourself and everyone else around you should be a MAJOR concern when behind the wheel. Not checking your facebook page doing 70+ down the freeway.

 

[captaincranky]

Tygerstrike And just for you, here's Venus checking her Facebook page:

 

[OneSpeed]

How can the CHP see if the Glass device in on?

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

"putting on makeup, eating, talking on the phone, watching a video ? is dangerous".
A lot of people don't seem to think so. I've seen some people do all this simultaneously, while driving at 120 mph.
The cop was probably rolling about laughing at how money she paid to look ridiculous wearing those silly things hence his illegible hieroglyphics. He shoulda let her go for making his day.

 

[Tygerstrike]

@Capt
DUDE LMAO!!!! Just turn the mirror into a cellphone and its perfect!!!! You could even equate the skeletons as FB drama!!! TOO RICH!!!

 

[captaincranky]

"putting on makeup, eating, talking on the phone, watching a video ? is dangerous".
A lot of people don't seem to think so. I've seen some people do all this simultaneously, while driving at 120 mph.
...[ ]....

One quick question, were you being a bad boy, driving alongside @ 120mph? Because, if you were driving 60, you would have missed all that as they whizzed by.....

It's a pity the iPad doesn't have a USB port for something like this:

 

[Guest]

What do you think? Do you think Abadie was in the wrong by wearing Glass while driving or should she not have been cited by the officer?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Why do you even have to ask if it wrong. She was potentially endangering the lives of other people. Of course it is wrong.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

One quick question, were you being a bad boy, driving alongside @ 120mph? Because, if you were driving 60, you would have missed all that as they whizzed by.....

It's a pity the iPad doesn't have a USB port for something like this:

I was going 125 mph doing the same things (apart from putting on make up, that is)

 

[Sarcasm]

I'm going to agree with CHP here. We have enough stupid drivers on the road. It will only be a matter of time before we hear stories of a person wearing google glass paying attention to the glasses and run over a kid or something.

 

[learninmypc]

If it wasn't posted already, http://www.kirotv.com/ap/ap/california/driver-expects-to-fight-google-glass-ticket/nbdZ6/

 

[cliffordcooley]

"Anything that takes your attention away from the motoring public in front of you is a distraction," Hale said.

Does that include billboards?
What about watching your dash board to make sure you are not going over the speed limit. I guess the instrument panels need to be removed out of the cars so you can keep your eye strictly on the road.

 

[Guest]

If I hold a turned off cellphone in front of me while talking, I am sure I would get in trouble for that too. Off or on is irrelevant. Prove it was off.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Next week they will be issuing tickets for you blinking your eyes.

 

[matrix86]

Am I the only one has an issue with the fact that she was pulled over for "suspicion" of speeding? How does that even work? That just sounds like a lame excuse to pull someone over.

"Herr herr, I don't have my radar on, so I'm just gonna randomly pull someone over and claim they looked like they were speeding, herr herr."

Seriously, if you want to pull me over just for a license check, tell me you pulled me over just for a license check. I have no problem with that. Don't feed me some lame excuse like "I suspected you might be speeding." Either I was, or I wasn't. You're a cop, you have a radar gun, use it.

As for this woman, she was in violation of a state vehicle code. End of story. What's to argue about? It's a device that displays a picture of some sort in your vision. There's nothing to argue here. Don't like the code? Take it up with your lawmaker.

 

[matrix86]

Does that include billboards?
What about watching your dash board to make sure you are not going over the speed limit. I guess the instrument panels need to be removed out of the cars so you can keep your eye strictly on the road.

Right, so let's exercise a little common sense here. Billboards...a distraction? Yes. Anything you can control? No. Unlike a cell phone, you can't put down and ignore a billboard.

Checking dash. A distraction? Yes. Necessary to keep you from driving above the speed limit, running out of gas, ending up stuck in the middle of road because of engine overheat? Yes. Since it's necessary for safety reasons, it stays.

Exercising a little common sense and critical thinking will take you far in life, my friend.