Is Google Glass More Dangerous than Texting and Driving?

Google Glass is a new kind of headwear that helps bring the usefulness of search technology into your everyday existence. Imagine that instead of walking down the street and having to wonder where to eat or what a shop sells, you can see the information as you pass by without doing anything. Or, instead of staring at a smartphone for directions, you see them displayed clearly in front of you without ever taking your eyes off the road.

However, safety advocates worry about the safety of this new technology. Just as no one anticipated the dangers of texting while driving until people started dying in accidents in which drivers prioritize replying over their attention to the road.

Some technology developers and early adopters are already using Google Glass for everyday tasks, and in October 2013, one of them was pulled over in California for speeding. She received a citation for driving with the device, since driving with any kind of monitor in view is illegal in the state, though Google Glass hasn’t been specifically targeted.

However, some states aren’t waiting to act. New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia have already introduced bills to outlaw driving with Google Glass. West Virginia Delegate Gary G. Howell told CNN: “The primary thing is a safety concern. [The Google Glass headset] could project text or video into your field of vision. I think there’s a lot of potential for distraction.”

Even developers for the new technology agree. Rich Chang, CEO of NewFoundry, and David Berkowitz, chief marketing officer for the digital and technology agency MRY, both have said that C-level executives need to be concerned about liability situations in which Google Glass could increase the risk of accidents.

Prim Law Firm PLLC represents clients in cases involving personal injuries in West Virginia, and our clients owe no fees unless we are successful in recovering compensation on their behalf.