A California tech tester who was stopped and cited for using Google Glass has beaten the rap. A San Diego court officer said he found no evidence that Cecilia Abadie was using the new visual technology just before she was stopped for speeding. The ticket was for using a "monitor" while driving, not for a violation of cell phone or texting laws. The court commissioner did say "falls within the purview and intent" of state law against using a video monitor, however. California permits hands-free cell phone use and texting for adult drivers. Abadie wore the glasses while talking with … [Read more...]
Alaska rewrites its texting law history
November 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Alaska's old and "ambiguous" texting & driving law is dead and buried. A state appeals court ruled this week that the 2008 law intended to ban text messaging while driving was poorly worded and ambiguous "at best." It established "the crime of driving with a screen device operating." In 2012, legislators amended the Alaska distracted driving law to specify that a violation occurs when a driver is "reading or typing a text message." While the issue would seem to be moot in Alaska, the legal activity reflects continuing problems nationwide with the wording of the first wave of … [Read more...]
Texting a driver may lead to liability
August 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A person who distracts a driver by sending him a text message conceivably could be held liable for injuries or deaths that result, a New Jersey appeals court has ruled. The judges, however, rejected the application of its opinion in the case before them, saying the young defendant did not have a "special reason" to believe the driver would read the text while behind the wheel. The civil case was brought by motorcyclists Linda and David Kubert (pictured), who both lost a left leg in a distracted driving crash in Mine Hill Township during the fall of 2009. The couple are namesakes of … [Read more...]
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