A California woman, who got a ticket for driving with Google Glass on, has pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, December 3, Cecilia Abadie pleaded not guilty to what is reportedly the first ever ticket for driving while wearing Google Glass. Abadie was given a ticket earlier in October this year.
On October 29, Abadie was pulled over for allegedly speeding (doing 80mph in a 65mph zone) on a San Diego freeway and fined for speeding. Apart from speeding, her violation also included "driving w/monitor visible to driver (Google Glass)." Abadie has uploaded a photo of the ticket on Google+.
Abadie, who is a software developer, has also pleaded not guilty to both charges and seems unfazed. William Concidine, her attorney, has revealed that Abadie will testify at a trial that is scheduled for January 2014 that the Google Glass was not switched on when she was driving. The wearable device had automatically activated when Abadie looked up at the officer as he was standing by the window.
Google Glass has been designed such that the device responds to a head tilt and wakes itself up. The device also features a thumbnail-size transparent display which is located above the right eye.
The case has raised several debates, including those pertaining to distracted driving and wearable technology that is set to become commonplace in the near future. It has been argued that current laws are not in keeping with technological developments.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer who noticed Abadie was wearing Google Glass tacked on a citation that is normally given to individuals who drive while watching a video or TV screen that is located in the front of the vehicle.
Per Abadie's lawyer, the vehicle code listed in the citation is not relevant to mobile technology like Google Glass. The CHP declined to comment.
"This has to play out in court,'' said CHP spokesperson Fran Clader.
Google Glass is currently available to 10,000 Explorers in the U.S. for $1,500. The company is expected to release the consumer version in 2014.
Google's website issues an advisory to users when wearing the device while driving: "Read up and follow the law. Above all, even when you're following the law, don't hurt yourself or others by failing to pay attention to the road.''
Legislators in three states - Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia - have introduced bills that ban driving with Google Glass on.
