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Rich26189 writes:
"In a somewhat pre-emptive move Google is lobbying against state legislation that would ban drivers from using Google Glass while driving. I, for one, would like to see such legislation passed. There is enough distracted driving due to hand-held cell phones and Google Glass would just be just one more task for the brain to cope with.
This from Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/us-googl e-glass-lobbying-idUSBREA1O0P920140225"
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Lobbying Against Having Google Glass Banned While Driving
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(Score: 4, Insightful) by frojack on Sunday March 02 2014, @02:43AM
Instead of lobbying for Glass to be accepted cart blanch, Google should be adding assurances that Glass will only do a certain limited set of things while it is traveling more than 3 mph, and that Glass will always have access to GPS. (to determine speed).
Those limited things allowable while moving > 3mph would all be based on the assumption you are driving, and would include things like a highly simplified map, turn by turn directions, etc. In essence, a HUD for driving.
If Google won't take steps to prevent distracted driving they will probably lose the fight, because people aren't all that excited to have "glassholes" (El Reg's term for Google Glass wearers) anywhere, let alone on the roads.
We already ban texting and even phone-in-hand calling based on the ASSUMPTION that people can't do this and drive at the same time. Even if you were able to prove you CAN do this, its still not allowed.
So if it is possible that you could be watching porn on your glass, the nanny state will simply ASSUME they you are, and that you are therefore distracted.
I think its up to Google to offer assurances that all possible distractions would be eliminated. It would be the smart play for them to do. Otherwise even if the succeed in fighting back a ban, they will get themselves hauled into court every time there was a fender bender with a Glass in the car.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 02 2014, @03:08AM
Doing a blanket rule to make Glass go into "You're Moving Mode!" while moving at more than 3 mph is really dumb. Or any speed. What if I'm a passenger? Or on public transportation (train/bus/plane/etc)? There is no easy way, with our discrete components, to auto-block idiocy. Distracted driving laws cover this problem already, we don't need new laws to cover the same thing.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Sunday March 02 2014, @03:48AM
Well, no, distracted driving laws DON'T cover this, not if Google gets its way.
(Did you forget what the topic is about?)
If you have your phone in your hand its easy to decide you are distracted.
But no one can tell what you are watching on Glass.
So if distracted driving is what you are going with, then apparently you'd be fine with Glass being banned for drivers?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by ancientt on Sunday March 02 2014, @03:52AM
I like the Waze approach to this, if you attempt to do something that might require more than minimal glancing, it denies you the option unless you specify that you're a passenger. As a passenger offering navigation assistance while carpooling, I find that entirely reasonable.
I tried another app for the same purposes, but it wouldn't let me interact with it as a passenger because I was moving. I don't even remember the name of that app.
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(Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday March 02 2014, @04:03AM
I agree. But doesn't that suggest disallowing Glass for drivers? (just askin).
As a passenger, I end up navigating a lot too, but I just use the phone for that, or turn on Google navigation and let the Google gal call the shots. You don't even have to look at the phone.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by big_e on Sunday March 02 2014, @12:13PM
That is exactly the problem. There are many people who THINK they are above average drivers and can handle texting while driving, when in reality they are just as bad as the rest of us. The studies and statistics don't lie, people CAN'T text and drive safely but the person who does justifies it to themselves as being the lone exception to the rule.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday March 02 2014, @08:56PM
I know a woman who could carry on a conversation via sms with an old school dumb phone using only the T-9 keyboard with one hand. She typed complete sentences never once looking at the screen. She'd peek to read, but really, she never took her eyes off what she was doing. She refused to move to a smartphone.
(Not advocating this, just pointing out absolute statements are never absolute, and also reminding you that lying with statistics is time proven art.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by zsau on Monday March 03 2014, @10:38PM
Proves nothing. I don't need to look at the keyboard I'm typing this on (even if I did, it wouldn't help because the letters don't correspond at all to the key I want), but that doesn't mean I can pay attention to what's happening around me and to what's happening on screen.
This is the entire point of the stats and the studies and the bans: you don't realise how much attention you're taking off the rest of the world to write something down, especially when you don't need to look at it to tell what you're doing.
And you don't realise how long the half a second you look down at the screen is, and how quickly the half a second becomes five seconds.