Woman fined in Canada for using Apple Watch behind the wheel

No one needs to be reminded that to drive an activity that requires total and undivided attention, even because it involves your life and that of other people; for this reason, the use of smartphones behind the wheel is considered to be a very serious infraction in basically any traffic code in the world.

But what if the device in question is not a smartphone? It was the question that has been around the head of Canadian Victoria Ambrose in recent days, as reported by National Post.

Ambrose, a student at the University of Guelph (near Ontario, Canada), received a fine of 400 Canadian dollars (approximately R $ 1,170) for using a Apple Watch while driving. The police officer who applied the fine said he saw a flash in the student's car, stopped at a red light; when the traffic light opened, Ambrose remained stationary until the policeman directed a dim light at her, signaling inattention.

Ambrose said he was just tapping on the Apple Watch (which she said was not connected to an iPhone or any other device) to check the time and cites Canadian law, which only prohibits the use of devices handheld (or insured by hand, in literal translation); according to her, Ma's watch would be characterized as a mounted device, similar in nature to a GPS, which is permitted by law.

The police officer who applied the fine, in turn, claimed to have seen the student check the device on her wrist at least four times in a short period of time, and that the Apple Watch is characterized as a wireless communication device, which has its use prohibited by law. Judge Lloyd Phillips, who analyzed the case after Ambrose's dispute, sided with the policeman, saying that using the Apple Watch behind the wheel is in no way less distracting or safer than using a smartphone.

In the end, Ambrose paid the fine and his lawyer said the law needs to be more specific about new technologies and their use behind the wheel, which is, in fact, a very important issue; who never took their eyes off the street to check the time or the next turn on the GPS for a few milliseconds, anyway?

The discussion goes a long way, certainly.

via MacRumors