Australian drivers could be banned from all device use in impending law review

WHO’S WATCHING THE SMARTWATCHES?

PRESENTLY, DRIVERS ARE able to use smartphones for GPS, making or receiving hands-free calls, or playing music, so long as the device is either mounted in a cradle that doesn’t obscure the road, or can be activated via Bluetooth or voice commands. The National Transport Commission (NTC), however, is considering the possibility of refining these laws to better reflect the current digital climate, as the rules haven’t been updated since 1999. Devices such as smartwatches and AR glasses (like Google Glass) may currently be exempt from these laws as a result. “We’re doing a full scan of the whole ecosystem of devices”, the Commission’s director of safety, Mandi Mees stated, “so that we can develop a logic that is simple and easy for road users to understand”. The NTC wants the laws to not specifically focus on different types of tech products, but instead target distracting behaviours in a more overarching manner.