# Something new to keep drivers distracted **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775 "2012-04-05T19:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775/1 "2012-04-05T19:26:32Z")
> **[Yahoo](https://yahoo.tumblr.com/)** > > yahoo This could have the potential of being more dangerous then texting ---
**Author:** ![eraser1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6de8d8/32.png) [@eraser1998](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eraser1998)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775/2 "2012-04-05T20:09:03Z")
Or, if programmed properly, they could be a huge safety improvement - I could see the things interacting with sensors to warn you of things like: - vehicles in blind spots - additional warning of slowing traffic ahead - safe following distances ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775/3 "2012-04-05T21:30:53Z")
Possibly…but I suspect that MOST people won’t be using it for that. I’ll bet MOST will be reading text messages or their EMail. ---
**Author:** ![eraser1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6de8d8/32.png) [@eraser1998](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eraser1998)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775/4 "2012-04-05T21:41:46Z")
Agree 100%… just pointing out that it _could_ theoretically be used as an improvement. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775/5 "2012-04-05T21:46:47Z")
Maybe it can sense that you’re driving…and display a message like. "Hey Idiot…you’re driving…shutting down now. ---
**Author:** ![eraser1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6de8d8/32.png) [@eraser1998](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eraser1998)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775/6 "2012-04-05T22:05:34Z")
Considering that it should be able to easily tell that there’s a steering wheel within view and that you’re behind it (it appears approximately round, not oval as it would if you were in the passenger seat), I see no reason why it couldn’t automatically shut off if you were driving. However, who knows - this is Google… the company that is now making us do their work in improving google maps for them… : > **[Google Now Using ReCAPTCHA To Decode Street View Addresses](https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/29/google-now-using-recaptcha-to-decode-street-view-addresses/)** > > Have you started seeing images in online reCAPTCHAs that look suspiciously like house numbers pulled from Google Street View? Well, as it turns out, that's.. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/something-new-to-keep-drivers-distracted/71775/7 "2012-04-05T23:48:28Z")
What if Google doesn’t program the glasses to interact with messaging or internet services? The glasses look like they would be difficult to program. The casual user wouldn’t be able to produce the firmware and (re)program chips to allow the forbidden messages. Someone could make a lot of money doing it for others, but I wonder how long selling illegal Google Glasses would last. Illegal? It’s illegal to text and even use a cell phone in many states. In MD using a cell phone is a secondary offense, but a police officer can almost always find something else to pull you over for. Speeding comes to mind.