As J. Clarkson once said, funny how something like a phone or Glass is
deemed not acceptable because it's a 'distraction', yet it's ok for a couple
to have screaming kids in the back where the driver is constantly looking
back at them to tell them to stop kicking each other, etc., during which the
driver isn't looking at the road.
On the motorway I've seen drivers eating meals (with both hands! Using their
knees to turn the steering wheel), putting on clothes, reading books, all sorts
of crazy things. Sadly never a copper around to give them an earful for such
stupid behaviour.
Evidence is now available to show that, if anything, forcing drivers to use
hands-free devices has made lack of driving attention worse (see recent
New Scientist report). Since various cars already have HUD setups, and
onboard satnavs & general car control systems make use of displays that
force one to look away from the road, it's clearly a contradictory idea that
Glass should be singled out for a ban. If Glass can't be used, then neither
should any screen-based control setup or HUD in cars.
This kind of political move is just bandwagon-thinking. They're assuming
there will be a vocal minority against it, so they're prempting the outcry to
gain points.
Traffic law should be based on evidence & reason, not public bias
and political soap-boxing.
And cypeq is right, I don't remotely see how it could be enforced.
Heck, the police here don't even enforce existing laws against
using normal mobiles (not hands-free I mean); I see dirvers
using them all the time, though nothing was as bad as watching
a woman drive her car past me up a hill (I was waiting to cross
the road), past several turn-offs, a library (lots of children around),
three bus stops and a bus terminus, all while putting on her freakin'
makeup using the car's sun-visor mirror, ie. not looking at the road
_at all_. A woman across the road from me stared in astonishment;
we both looked on, half expecting the driver to plough into a tree.
Tech devices like Glass are the least important issues the govt
needs to be tackling on the roads. Just general bad driving is
more blatantly dangerous. I see no end of people breaking red
lights (anyone else here in Edinburgh? Check Queensferry Road
junction, it happens on every change of lights), entering box junction
grids when the exit is not clear, etc.
Ian.
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