Google Glass may still be in its experimental stages but some states have already made moves to ban drivers from using the device while they are behind the wheel, Bloomberg reported.
House of Delegates member Gary Howell introduced the bill in West Virginia that would bar drivers from wearing Google Glass. Similar moves are also undertaken in at least five other states. Google is understandably concerned and has engaged the services of lobbyists in two states to enlighten lawmakers about the search giant's product, the report said.
Richard Bennett told Bloomberg in an interview, "These ban bills could limit the marketability of Google Glass. Driving is certainly one of the premier applications for Glass." Bennett is a visiting scholar at American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
Google Glass is a pair of spectacles that provides wearers Internet access and allows them to take photos and look at videos. Search giant Google has been developing Glass in its bet towards wearable devices that allow consumers to take pictures, check email or listen to tunes minus smartphones or other traditional devices, the report said.
Early studies have revealed that Google Glass is not as disturbing as smartphones and could even be utilized to allow drivers avoid potential dangers on the road. But because using phones while behind the wheel has caused fatal car crashes before, some lawmakers don't want to take chances on the possible hazards posed by Google Glass, the report said.
In West Virginia, Illinois and New Jersey, the measures would put Google Glass in the same category as hand-held gadgets and mobile phones that cannot be used by a driver. In New York, meanwhile, a bill would ask the motor vehicle department to give recommendations on how to enforce a possible ban, the report said.
Google Spokeswoman Anna Richardson White told Bloomberg through email that they intend to take part in the debate about Glass, "Technology issues are a big part of the current policy discussion in individual states, and we think it's important to be a part of those discussions."
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