When Google Glass becomes dangerous
After Glass wearer Sarah Slocum was assaulted by bar patrons at the Molotov bar in San Francisco, out of fear that she was recording without permission, bars Molotov and The Willows now bans wearing Google Glass; and it seems that the bars are not alone in their thinking Glass is dangerous. Delaware state is also trying to ban the wearable from the road.
According to an article in delawareonline, Google is now lobbying Delaware lawmakers to block the proposed bans on having Google Glass and other wearable computers while driving. Delaware considers device restrictions over concerns that they are dangerous to the motoring public, who can be easily distracted by mobile devices.
State Rep. Joe Miro, who sponsored the bill, said that just like the cellphone, it should not be used while driving. The May 30-introduced HB 155 bill says it will add, "wearable computer having head-mounted display," to the electronic devices list which motorists may not operate while on wheels.
Delaware law bans texting as well as the use of cellphones while driving. However, this leaves gadgets like Google Glass a loophole.
Glass is essentially a small screen mounted in an eyeglass frame. Through the Glass, users may read emails, take photos, browse the Web and shoot videos.
Google urges state officials not to ban the device, considering Glass is not widely available yet. Miro said that Google's concern is the technology being in its infancy where applications could change. However, change does not matter or even if the price goes down as it just means more people will be wearing it.
Jim Lardear of AAA Mid-Atlantic auto club, who supports the bill, said that it is just logical to ban it. He cannot imagine having a screen over one eye, or what it does to the vision while driving.