Woman wearing Google Glass found not guilty of distracted driving
SAN DIEGO — A Temecula woman was found not guilty in traffic court Thursday of a charge of distracted driving for wearing Google Glass.
San Diego Traffic Commissioner John Blair found that wearing the computer-in-eyewear could be covered as distracted driving by the traffic code, but police must prove that the eyewear was on.
Cecilia Abadie, 44, is believed to be the first driver in the nation to have received such a ticket. Google Glass is not yet on the market. Abadie is among those who are testing the product nationwide, called Google Glass Explorers.
On her Facebook page, Abadie thanked the people who had followed her case and had supported her claim of innocence: “Yes, we can continue to be CYBORGS even when we drive! Happy for all my fellow Glass Explorers that were anxiously waiting for this decision.”
She was stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer Oct. 29 while driving north on Interstate 15 in northern San Diego County.
The officer issued the ticket as a violation of California Vehicle Code 27602, which makes it a violation to drive a vehicle “if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen” is visible. Bills are pending in the legislatures of Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia to ban driving with Google Glass.
Abadie’s attorney had argued that since the California code does not mention Google Glass, it could not be the basis of a ticket. Blair rejected that reasoning.
Abadie testified that the Google Glass was turned off.
Blair also dismissed a speeding ticket for lack of evidence. Abadie had been driving 80 mph in a 65-mph zone, according to the ticket.
On her Facebook page, Abadie says she has been a product manager for Full Swing Golf Inc. of San Diego since 2005. On her Twitter account, she describes herself as a “glass pioneer, geek, self-quantifier, transhumanist, blogger, speaker, currently playing with fun new ways to a better self.”
As she left the courtroom, she praised the traffic commissioner to reporters: “He really did things right and I feel very good.”
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