It may seem incredibly obvious, but it needs to be stated anyway. Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, has warned people against driving while wearing Apple’s new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset.
Wearing the bulky Vision Pro while driving at high speeds isn’t likely to help your driving skills. Instead, it could lead to crashing into something very real and solid, not a virtual object.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Vision Pro isn’t a head-up display to assist with driving. Apple describes it as a “spatial computer.” It’s meant to boost productivity, potentially replace your Mac, and offer entertainment—not to be used while driving, which involves multiple distractions and impaired vision.
Buttigieg made his statement after viewing a video of a man driving a Tesla Cybertruck while wearing the Vision Pro. In this video, “driving” becomes a loose term as the person behind the wheel has both hands off it. The car might be on Autopilot, but the driver is busy with hand gestures, seemingly involved in tasks within the Vision Pro.
Buttigieg reminded everyone via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that all advanced driver assistance systems still require the driver to stay in control and fully attentive.
Apple’s website has a section titled “Safely use your Apple Vision Pro,” which discusses the device’s safety features to prevent collisions and falls. These “collisions” refer to stumbling into a wall, not crashing into a bus.
Apple hasn’t explicitly told drivers to avoid using the Vision Pro while driving because they assumed it was obvious. However, they might now need to add such a warning to their website.
So far, Apple has promoted the Vision Pro for uses around the home and on airplanes (as a passenger). In Apple Store demos, they set up a “living room” scene to create a realistic experience. There’s no car interior setup for these demonstrations.
It’s uncertain if Vision Pro users will heed Buttigieg’s advice. But it’s probably just a matter of time before someone is caught driving while wearing the headset.