A California Woman Got A Traffic Ticket For Driving With Google Glass

The woman who got the ticket is fighting it, reports the AP's Justin Pritchard.

The gist of the story is this: In October, a California High Patrol officer pulled over Cecilia Abadie in the L.A. area for suspicion of speeding. Abadie was one of about 10,000 "explorers" who bought Glass earlier this year. She was wearing the device and when the cop saw it, he added a citation given to people driving with a video or TV in the car.

But the woman says Glass wasn't on while she was driving. She says Glass turned itself on later, when she was stopped and lifted her head to look at the officer standing at her window. Glass can automatically turn itself on when the head is tilted.

It's an interesting case because Abadie and her lawyer are arguing that the citation for driving with a video screen on shouldn't apply to wearable mobile devices such as Google Glass.

Some states, like Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia, are already working on laws that would specifically ban driving with Glass, reports Pritchard.

But in states that don't have those laws, can other distracted driving laws cover Glass? And can they cover Glass when it's not turned on? And should states ban wearable tech like Glass while driving at all, or should they be considered in the category of a hands-free mobile phone accessory? Using a hands-free device to talk on the phone is legal in California, according to its Department of Motor Vehicles.

Some of these questions could be figured out in January when the case will be heard in court.