App for Google Glass keeps you awake behind the wheel

You might remember Cecilia Abadie. She was the Google Glass wearer who was ticketed by a policeman for wearing her connected shades while driving. There is a law in most states that prevents a driver from looking at a television monitor while behind the wheel, although we should point out that Ms, Abadie was speeding, which is why she was pulled over in the first place.

Obviously, lawmakers are concerned that driving while wearing Google Glass is distracting to the driver. After all, it is hard to keep your eyes on the road when you're watching a YouTube video on Glass while you're driving. But this doesn't mean that Google Glass can't save a driver's life. Take DriveSafe. This is a new app for Google Glass that uses the internal sensors inside the specs to determine if you've fallen asleep while driving.

Right now, because DriveSafe is not available from the Google MyGlass app, it has to be sideloaded. It is well worth doing. You start up the program by saying "Ok Google, keep me awake". From that moment on, if the app senses that you are falling asleep, there is an audio and visual alert that is designed to be jarring in order to wake you. The app can even give you directions to the next rest stop where you can, well, rest.

Considering that a 2010 AAA report showed that 41% of the drivers in the U.S. admitted to have fallen asleep while behind the wheel, DriveSafe could be the perfect solution. That is as long as the Police don't keep writing you tickets for wearing Google Glass.


source: DriveSafe via GigaOM