CA cop tickets Google Glass-wearing driver

A San Diego woman was ticketed by police Tuesday for distracted driving because she was wearing Google Glass when pulled over for speeding.

In a public post on Google+, Cecilia Abadie asked for advice on the legality of wearing Google Glass while driving. She was ticketing for violating California Vehicle Code Section 27602(a) — labeled “Television” — which prohibits the use of a:

“… video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal that produces entertainment or business applications, is operating and is located in the motor vehicle at a point forward of the back of the driver’s seat…”

The law carves out provisions for emergency personnel and utility workers to use in-car terminals in connection with their duties. It also allows the use of GPS units and displays which convey vehicle-related information only.

Not addressed in the law, though, is any specific reference to wearable tech like Google Glass.

Abadie did not record any photos or video of the incident, a fact she laments in a follow-up comment to her own post:

“I can’t believe I did not take a pic or video, seriously, everybody should have seen his attitude.”