LOS ANGELES (CN) - The Coalition Against Distracted Driving sued Apple for $1 billion a year, demanding that it use the money to educate the public not to use its smart watch while driving.
The unincorporated association sued Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft on Monday in Superior Court. It describes the lawsuit as a "public interest action," and says the $1 billion it wants each year for public education is just "a tiny fraction" of the profits the defendants will make from smart phones and smart watches.
"Viewing or using the Apple Watch while driving creates a far greater danger than using a smart phone while driving," the coalition says in the complaint. "There has been no public education campaign about the danger of smart watches while driving. Drivers should clearly be told about the dangers of smart watches while driving. Drivers should be clearly told that a smart watch should never be viewed while driving, because it renders the road ahead invisible. The driver might as well be blindfolded."
The association points out that Apple has $159 billion in cash reserves, and apparently is not doing much with it.
Samsung, Google and Microsoft are defendants because they make smart phones and smart watches.
Calling the use of smart phones while driving "a national epidemic," and citing a number of horrible auto crashes attributed to it, the coalition and co-plaintiff Stephen Joseph ask for the $1 billion annual fund and damages for nuisance.
Joseph, an attorney, filed the complaint pro se.
Courthouse News filed this story early Tuesday before businesses were open.
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