Illinois Considers Smart Glasses Bill Amid Distracted Driving Concerns

Over half of U.S. states have introduced laws against texting while driving and promote hands-free smartphone use. Now, as smart glasses gain traction, some states are looking to apply similar regulations to these devices. Illinois, however, stands out—it’s on track to become the first state to ban smart glasses from road use, as proposed in House Bill 4843.

The issue of distracted driving is a serious one in the U.S. Recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that in 2024, 315,167 individuals were injured and 3,208 lost their lives due to distracted driving incidents, despite existing laws to curb these behaviors.

At present, the bill is simply waiting for the signature from Governor Pritzker.

Interestingly, this bill isn’t just a straightforward measure. It’s backed by Democratic Representatives Michael J. Kelly and Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, along with Senator Ram Billivalam, showing a trend of layering legislation. Illinois vehicle law is set to see multiple changes under this bill, adding two new categories to the list of distracted driving devices.

The Long Arm of the Law

The first of these categories is the AI pin. Although not widely available yet, it’s a gadget that clips onto clothing or can be worn as a pendant or on the wrist. With built-in generative AI, these devices can record, store, and analyze conversations, presumably to help users capture important information. However, how they could distract a driver is unclear. Personally, I’m not convinced AI pins would be a major issue while driving, but perhaps Illinois wants to stay proactive in case they evolve into something more distracting.

Then we have smart glasses—the other category under scrutiny. The wide range of smart glasses complicates things a bit since some types could indeed be more distracting than others.

• AI smart glasses: These resemble the Ray-Ban Meta Generation 2 and include a camera and audio capabilities. They might potentially divert attention from the road, especially if they include a heads-up display that hinders a driver’s view.
• Heads-up display smart glasses: These glasses project information like messages and notifications directly into a driver’s line of sight, which could pose significant distractions. They aren’t readily available for sale yet, but if caught using them while driving, one could receive a ticket.
• AR/VR glasses: With capabilities to alter the user’s reality, these are clearly the most distracting and should never be used while driving.

The proposed legislation suggests that all smart glasses—and AI pins, by extension—would be required to be used hands-free while driving. Additionally, their use would be permitted when the vehicle is stopped, as long as it’s in neutral or park. Otherwise, the same restrictions applied to smartphones would carry over to these new devices.

House Bill 4843 is currently awaiting Governor Pritzker’s approval. While Illinois takes this bold step as the first state to proceed with such a bill, it’s likely that other states may follow suit if smart glasses continue to grow in popularity.