Charges dropped against driver with Google Glass; confusion remains about legality of device on road

Cecilia Abadie

Is it illegal to wear Google Glass while driving? That remains up in the air. But score one for the technological crowd, after a charge against a California driver for wearing the device while driving was thrown out Thursday, because there wasn't enough evidence to prove it was turned on while she was driving, Heather Kelly reports for CNN. Cecelia Abadie, a Google Glass tester, said the device was off, but was still issued a ticket for using it.

"Google Glass wearers in California can still be pulled over and cited for wearing the head-mounted displays while driving," Kelly writes. "Whether they get a warning or a ticket will be up to the individual officer. Getting a charges dismissed will then be up to individual traffic court judges." Despite the win, Abadie's attorney told Kelly, "It doesn't necessarily answer the question everybody wanted: Is it legal to drive down the road wearing Google Glass while it's operating?"

Some say yes, citing California vehicle code 27602, "which prohibits operating a video-display in front of the driver's head rest where it can distract the driver. The law was originally drafted to keep people from watching TV while driving," Kelly writes. But others aren't so sure. California Highway Patrol Public Affairs Officer Jake Sanchez told Kelly, "Anything that distracts you from driving is something that were concerned about," but he noted, "There is no law that specifically says Google Glass is illegal. Each officer has to take each case on a case-by-case basis." (Read more)