Massachusetts is set to become the first US state to ban drivers from wearing Apple Vision Pro headsets while behind the wheel, following a surge of viral videos showing motorists using the mixed reality device.
State representative William Straus told The Boston Globe: 'They’re all over the internet, these idiots driving Teslas with their hands up in the air.' The proposed legislation aims to curb a trend that has seen videos of drivers wearing the $3,499 headset rack up tens of millions of views on X, formerly Twitter.
US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg weighed in after a video of a man in a Tesla Cybertruck wearing a Vision Pro circulated online. He wrote on X: 'Reminder – ALL advanced driver assistance systems available today require the human driver to be in control and fully engaged in the driving task at all times.'
David Reich, spokesperson for the National Road Safety Foundation, added: 'You can’t be doing that while you are driving.' Apple itself warns in the Vision Pro user guide: 'Never use Apple Vision Pro while operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety.'
The device, currently available only in the US, has also been used in other risky scenarios, such as popular YouTuber Casey Neistat filming himself skateboarding while wearing it on a busy New York street.
