Google Glass to be Subject to Texting-While-Driving Penalties?

West Virginia legislators may be the forerunners in adding the Google Glass to existing texting-while-driving laws. Gary G. Howell of the West Virginia state legislator has introduced a bill that seems aimed at preventing drivers from using the hands-free device while they are on the road. Specifically, the bill aims to ban "using a wearable computer with head mounted display."

While speaking to CNET, Howell said that the bill is aimed at protecting younger drivers who are more likely to drive while distracted.

"It is mostly the young that are the tech-savvy that try new things...They are also our most vulnerable and under-skilled drivers. We heard of many crashes caused by texting and driving, most involving our youngest drivers."

A Google spokesman has also released a statement to Mashable concerning the proposed legislation.

"We are putting a lot of thought into the design of Glass because new technologies always raise new issues...We actually believe there is tremendous potential to improve safety on our roads and reduce accidents," said the spokesperson. "As always, feedback is welcome."

It is not surprising that Google Glass, which operates by projecting images on a pair of glasses while also giving audio notifications, would be under investigation by lawmakers for use while driving. Considering the dangers of driving while under any sort of distraction, having images pop up unexpectedly on screen while driving could lead to potentially fatal accidents.

However, it can be argued that a drivers mode could be put into the device to switch to audio-only notifications. In addition, a GPS on the Google Glass device could be easier and less distracting than looking away at a dashboard-mounted GPS. We shall see if this proposed law gains traction or flounders in West Virginia.