People Wearing Earphones While Driving

[Prawo Jazdy]

This surely is the scourge of our times.

[Dangerous Dan]

Deaf people can obtain drivers' licences and drive cars/ride motorcycles without penalty. Whether being deaf (thus hearing fk all) vs having eardrums blasted with drum & bass (or whatever the kids listen to nowadays) is the same thing is another debate entirely IMO.

[Fubar1977]

NightRunner said:

Fail.

A well reasoned argument, well done

Pretty symptomatic of the sort of bullst posted in GG these days

Go ahead and drive in headphones then, nothing could possibly go wrong.

[Vince70]

It seems very stupid behaviour to want to lose the ability to hear while driving, if the car is so old and doesn't have an iPod adapter why wouldn't you go and buy a fm transmitter adapter.
I have a Belkin one for my old shed and it cost less than £5.

[MatthewADV]

I use them on my phone, as soon as the call has ended out they go.

(small in ear type).

[Fubar1977]

Dangerous Dan said:

Deaf people can obtain drivers' licences and drive cars/ride motorcycles without penalty. Whether being deaf (thus hearing fk all) vs having eardrums blasted with drum & bass (or whatever the kids listen to nowadays) is the same thing is another debate entirely IMO.

Point taken but it`s a totally different ball game.
Being deaf is not an "active distraction" in the same way that, say, Dubstep is.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Fubar1977 said:

Being fully aware of your surroundings is not a priority for you then?
Using headphones (both ears) for the purpose of listening to music in a motor vehicle or motorbike is:
a) Illegal
b) Stupid

Sorry if that sounds harsh but it`s an accident waiting to happen and is far more isolating and distracting than listening to the car stereo, even at higher volumes.

I disagree (obviously!). I know from experience that i can hear if someone sounds their horn. I cannot think of any circumstances in which I could put myself, others, children, kittens or even bunny rabbits in danger through my use of headphones whilst driving.

Perhaps there is something that, in my stupidity, I have not considered. Can you please enlighten me?

As for the legality aspect, well, that's not even worth my time to discuss.

[Pothole]

As usual, a lot of old pony being spouted!

[andy-xr]

I do it a lot, it's my handsfree. Cant win from sounds of it - headphones in = dangerous. Phone in hand = dangerous

[Pothole]

andy-xr said:

I do it a lot, it's my handsfree. Cant win from sounds of it - headphones in = dangerous. Phone in hand = illegal

EFA.

[Fubar1977]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Fubar1977 said:

Being fully aware of your surroundings is not a priority for you then?
Using headphones (both ears) for the purpose of listening to music in a motor vehicle or motorbike is:
a) Illegal
b) Stupid

Sorry if that sounds harsh but it`s an accident waiting to happen and is far more isolating and distracting than listening to the car stereo, even at higher volumes.

I disagree (obviously!). I know from experience that i can hear if someone sounds their horn. I cannot think of any circumstances in which I could put myself, others, children, kittens or even bunny rabbits in danger through my use of headphones whilst driving.

Perhaps there is something that, in my stupidity, I have not considered. Can you please enlighten me?

As for the legality aspect, well, that's not even worth my time to discuss.

No, it`s not worth my time to discuss your stupidity.
Crack on mate.

[andy-xr]

Pothole said:

andy-xr said:

I do it a lot, it's my handsfree. Cant win from sounds of it - headphones in = dangerous. Phone in hand = illegal

EFA.

Illegal because dangerous?

[jmorgan]

Rebel without a clue, me. In the van, we have noise. I listen to audio books at a reasonable level and can hear the world in general, yet the van still makes more noise. In the fun car I have to have the stereo on 11 to hear it. So, in reply to the anti, see the scene from Monty Python where the Frenchies win the day. I am the Frenchies.

Maybe we need to limit all car stereos to 1?

[Pothole]

Fubar1977 said:

Tribal Chestnut said:

Fubar1977 said:

Being fully aware of your surroundings is not a priority for you then?
Using headphones (both ears) for the purpose of listening to music in a motor vehicle or motorbike is:
a) Illegal
b) Stupid

Sorry if that sounds harsh but it`s an accident waiting to happen and is far more isolating and distracting than listening to the car stereo, even at higher volumes.

I disagree (obviously!). I know from experience that i can hear if someone sounds their horn. I cannot think of any circumstances in which I could put myself, others, children, kittens or even bunny rabbits in danger through my use of headphones whilst driving.

Perhaps there is something that, in my stupidity, I have not considered. Can you please enlighten me?

As for the legality aspect, well, that's not even worth my time to discuss.

No, it`s not worth my time to discuss your stupidity.
Crack on mate.

Can we discuss your own stupidity? It's not illegal, you moron.

[SMcP114]

I've tried this, it's like an extreme sport and not something I'd recommend. Completely takes away your awareness of your surroundings.

[Six Fiend]

Did it frequently on long van journeys - funnily enough it meant I had the volume down at a sensible level as I found they cut out the wind and tyre noise better than having the radio wound right up.

As they were not connected through my eyeballs I also found I was still able to see everything going on around me.

Same for ear plugs when I wanted a peaceful trip. Just enough to cut out the annoying noise but fine for sirens and anything else.

Now the important bit where common sense applies: Never used them in town as I often pop a window open at junctions for a little help from engine and tyre noise.

[Spanna]

andy-xr said:

Pothole said:

andy-xr said:

I do it a lot, it's my handsfree. Cant win from sounds of it - headphones in = dangerous. Phone in hand = illegal

EFA.

Illegal because dangerous?

Illegal because the law says so.

[Meoricin]

Pothole said:

Fubar1977 said:

Tribal Chestnut said:

Fubar1977 said:

Being fully aware of your surroundings is not a priority for you then?
Using headphones (both ears) for the purpose of listening to music in a motor vehicle or motorbike is:
a) Illegal
b) Stupid

Sorry if that sounds harsh but it`s an accident waiting to happen and is far more isolating and distracting than listening to the car stereo, even at higher volumes.

I disagree (obviously!). I know from experience that i can hear if someone sounds their horn. I cannot think of any circumstances in which I could put myself, others, children, kittens or even bunny rabbits in danger through my use of headphones whilst driving.

Perhaps there is something that, in my stupidity, I have not considered. Can you please enlighten me?

As for the legality aspect, well, that's not even worth my time to discuss.

No, it`s not worth my time to discuss your stupidity.
Crack on mate.

Can we discuss your own stupidity? It's not illegal, you moron.

But it must be! He thinks it should be, that makes it so!

[singlecoil]

Spanna said:

andy-xr said:

Pothole said:

andy-xr said:

I do it a lot, it's my handsfree. Cant win from sounds of it - headphones in = dangerous. Phone in hand = illegal

EFA.

Illegal because dangerous?

Illegal because the law says so.

Which law?

[heebeegeetee]

Fubar1977 said:

Being fully aware of your surroundings is not a priority for you then?

There's a lot of codswallop being spouted about this topic.

Earphones don't block all noise out, but they do a good job of blocking tyre roar and wind noise out, they reduce fatigue and allow you to listen to music at a nice, reasonable level. You're just exchanging one background noise for another.

I wasn't aware they were illegal but I am aware that the speeds I do are, especially on m'ways.