Technology is no longer limited to the dashboards of our vehicles or the phones in our pockets. Google Glass is the latest example of this, where drivers can wear their technology while cruising down the road. But lawmakers in New York are concerned about the safety of such a potentially distracting device, and are considering laws to limit or ban its use by drivers.

The Google Glass device recently went public, after a phase in which only a handful of testers had access to the device. While most consumers still don’t own the technology, it is increasing in popularity, and we will likely see many more users in the near future. 

What Is Google Glass and Why Is It A Distraction?

Google Glass is a form of wearable technology that puts online information right in front of your eyes. No more looking over at your GPS display or down at your phone to see when the next turn is coming up – Glass can figure out turn-by-turn directions and overlay them right on the road.

Glass looks like high-tech eyeglasses, with a small display rectangle that rests directly above and to the right of the wearer’s right eye. It’s on this tiny display that the wearer can see everything from GPS directions to Google search results or the lens of the device’s camera.

The potential distractions of Google Glass are evident. Just as your phone can distract you from the road, so can Glass, but Glass is literally “in your face.”

Some say Glass is less distracting than smartphone use – something a significant number of drivers admit to – and is therefore an improvement on road safety. But not everyone is convinced. 

Laws Proposed to Limit Use and Penalize Google-Glass-Wearing Drivers

New York Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (D-Bronx) is just one of the lawmakers working to limit Google Glass behind the wheel. He says there needs to be some awareness that “improper use” of the technology could lead to tragic car accident fatalities.

It’s common sense, says AAA-New York spokesman Robert Sinclair, that Google Glass could be a distraction to drivers. He says it’s evident just by looking at it.

Crespo has proposed perhaps the furthest-reaching bill to limit drivers’ use of Google Glass in New York – one that would allow car accident victims to not only seek monetary compensation from the driver who hurt them, but from Google itself if the other driver was using Glass at the time of collision.

At least two other bills are pending in New York, one of which would require the NY DMV to recommend how law enforcement could enforce a ban on Glass. Enforcing such a ban could be difficult – even more difficult than enforcing a ban on texting. Still, several other states, including New Jersey, are considering similar legislation.