Google Glass While Driving
Google is selling Google Glass for today only to the entire American public. This raises the question – how does Google Glass affect driving laws?
In the District of Columbia, handheld cell phone use and texting is banned while driving under the Distracted Driving Safety Act. D.C. also prohibits all cell phone use by new or teenage drivers.
In Virginia, it is illegal to text or email while driving under the Virginia Code. Teen drivers are prohibited from using cell phones entirely. A driver may also be charged with failure to pay full time and attention in Fairfax County for using a cell phone if he or she swerves or brakes inappropriately due to cell phone use.
So while there are no direct laws prohibiting driving with Google Glass in D.C. or Virginia, the state could argue that it falls under failure to pay full time and attention or distracted driving.
Several states are already considering bills that would restrict or completely prohibit using Google Glass while driving, including West Virginia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, and Wyoming. We will have to see if Virginia and D.C. follow suit.