ROAD safety campaigners have issued warnings over the Apple’s new Vision Pro headsets being used while driving.
Apple’s $3,500 (£2,800) Vision Pro hit the shelves on Friday, but have already been the subject of viral videos showing them in scenes Apple has explicitly advised against.
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One video that amassed massive viewer numbers over the weekend shows a man, called Dante, using the virtual reality (VR) goggles while driving on a motorway.
In the video, the man’s eyes are completely covered by the headset while driving in multi-lane traffic.
At one point, both of his hands are off the steering wheel as he interacts with VR content that is only visible on the headset.
The video eventually cuts to the man being pulled over by US police.
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It is unknown where he was driving or what police department pulled him over.
Dante’s Twitter account says he lives in Palo Alto, California.
Warning from Apple
Apple has set out an extensive list of do’s and don’ts in regards to its new product, which it believes will revolutionise computing.
In a help page on its website, Apple urges customers to always be aware of their surroundings when wearing the Vision Pro headsets.
“Apple Vision Pro is designed for use in controlled areas that are safe, on a level surface,” the company writes.
“Do not use it around stairs, balconies, railings, glass, mirrors, sharp objects, sources of excessive heat, windows, or other hazards.
“Never use Apple Vision Pro while operating a moving vehicle, bicycle, heavy machinery, or in any other situations requiring attention to safety.”
Inside the Vision Pro headset, users can see a single, clear image of their surrounding as well as the VR content their interacting with.
However, both Apple and road safety experts have still deemed use of the Vision Pro while driving as unsafe.
Apple adds: “Apple Vision Pro is not intended for use where the failure of the device could lead to death, personal injury, or severe environmental damage.”
There have also been separate viral videos of people wearing the Apple Vision Pro headsets while crossing the road.
The trend has spooked drivers and road safety experts alike.
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“You can’t be doing that while you are driving,” David Reich, spokesman for the National Road Safety Foundation,” told The Telegraph.
“The idea of anyone using them when not in a self-driving car would be disastrous.
“You have to focus on driving; this is the task in hand,” said Mr Reich, whose organisation seeks to improve driving standards through education.
“This seems to me like a major distraction.”
Cathy Chase, the president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, also told the Telegraph: “While new technologies like virtual reality offer an exciting way to experience the world around us, they have no place behind the wheel of a car.
“Any behaviour that takes a driver’s focus off the task of driving is dangerous and irresponsible and puts all of us at serious risk of death or injury, especially vulnerable road users like pedestrians.
“Let’s instead promote technology like advanced driver assistance systems, that can actually save lives.”
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