Illinois Could Become the First State to Ban Drivers From Wearing Smart Glasses

Smart glasses are facing pushback from all over. The whole category is getting banned in courtrooms, on certain parts of cruise ships, during standardized testing, and now they’re speeding toward a statewide ban in cars. A bill in Illinois has been passed and is now awaiting final approval by Gov. JB Pritzker that would make it illegal to use smart glasses while driving, effectively expanding the definition of “electronic device” under the law. If approved, Illinois would be the first state to expressly ban the use of smart glasses while driving. Other states, such as New York, have proposed prohibiting the use of “head-mounted portable electronic devices” while operating a vehicle, but none of those proposals have even reached a House or Senate floor. What’s interesting is that the Illinois bill does not distinguish between display and non-display glasses. Unlike mobile phones, which can be used via Bluetooth through your car’s infotainment system, smart glasses would be banned in all instances. Here’s an excerpt from the measure: “Exceptions to the use of an electronic communication device while driving do not apply to the use of artificial intelligence smart glasses when using t