The Apple Watch. Is it a watch or an extension of a mobile phone? And, can you use it while driving? Australian site CarAdvice has done a little check on whether or not it's illegal to use the high-tech wristwatch when on the road in the country. According to their findings, well, it depends.
Different Australian states have different rulings to determine the final verdict it seems. Here's what has been found, though. In Victoria, using an Apple Watch is indeed illegal - if the Apple Watch is being used as a mobile phone, drivers can be fined a higher amount - up to AUD$455 (RM1,341).
In Western Australia and South Australia, the Apple Watch is classified as a Visual Display Unit (VDU). The law prohibits the operation of a VDU while the vehicle is in motion or "stationary but not parked," and if the screen is on and is visible to the driver during driving, that's breaching the law, which in turn means it's illegal.
Over in the Northern Territory, while there isn't any legislation around the Apple Watch, the police has the legal right to pull a driver over for "not taking due care" and is "distracted" while driving. In essence, the police can construe this as a violation of the law, so it's a little mixed there.
The only state where it is legal, sort of, to use an Apple Watch is Queensland. While it's against the law to use a mobile phone on the road, Queensland Road Rules do not apply to a smart watch. However, like the Northern Territory, the popo has the right to stop drivers if they become distracted, do not "have proper control" over the vehicle, or drive erratically due to the smart watch.
Now this is all quite interesting. Who would have thought the use of a watch on the roads would be illegal?
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