The Legality of Wearing Headphones While Driving...

[groomi]

Bikers can use intercoms in their helmets and various places sell intercoms for kit cars mounted in headphones rather than helmets.

So waht's the lagality of using these on the road? And if it's legal to wear headphones for an intercom, would it therefore be legal to listen to music through them too?

[Sparky137]

If you are caught you can be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. The argument being that one of your senses that you usually have and use has been intentionally impaired and you are not fully aware of your surroundings. For bikers it is used just for speech communications and is not as immersive so they still have a perception of other sounds around them.

[groomi]

So is it legal to use them for intercom in a car, say an open kitcar where normal conversation is difficult?

[flemke]

Perhaps this thread should be moved to SP&L?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Hang on a mo - how about wired handsfree phone kits that have in the ear phones?

Is this another case of legislation getting its knickers in a twist and not knowing what it's trying to say?

[ian in lancs]

Sparky137 said:

If you are caught you can be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. The argument being that one of your senses that you usually have and use has been intentionally impaired and you are not fully aware of your surroundings. For bikers it is used just for speech communications and is not as immersive so they still have a perception of other sounds around them.

rubbish - what if you're hearing impaired?

[dpbird90]

Why would you listen to music in headphones while driving, when the car has its own stereo?

If you do have an earpiece, it should only be a handsfree phone thing.

[robinhood21]

No idea on the legalities but, it should be an offence. Would be dangerous to be driving and unaware of what is happening around one.

[richyb]

Totally deaf people can drive legally in the UK so why would headphones make a difference?

[BigBen]

I sometimes listen to music through my intercom in the Atom, not really different from having the Stereo on in most cars the isolation from outside noise is similar.

[Gizmo!]

I was wondering this yesterday... the stereo in the MX5 gets overpowered at motorway speeds and some in-ear earphones would cut out the wind noise.

[DSM2]

Sparky137 said:

If you are caught you can be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. The argument being that one of your senses that you usually have and use has been intentionally impaired and you are not fully aware of your surroundings. For bikers it is used just for speech communications and is not as immersive so they still have a perception of other sounds around them.

On that basis is it then illegal towear a crash helmet in such as an Atom or Caterham etc?

[Henry Hawthorne]

dpbird90 said:

Why would you listen to music in headphones while driving, when the car has its own stereo?

If you do have an earpiece, it should only be a handsfree phone thing.

Because maybe some people don't have a stereo/their stereo is broken and they can't afford a new one...

A few months ago I did see some guy in an 08 Audi S8 listening to his iPod through the earphones though? Although he was a bit of a gump and tried to show how much more expensive and fast his car was by "racing" me. Well yes obviosuly you're going to win, I drive a FIAT Panda...

[robinhood21]

richyb said:

Totally deaf people can drive legally in the UK so why would headphones make a difference?

I would expect deaf drivers to compensate for their aural impairment by making more visual observations (at least one would hope so). That's not to say headphone-wearing drivers could not do the same, but would they?

[NiceCupOfTea]

DSM2 said:

Sparky137 said:

If you are caught you can be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. The argument being that one of your senses that you usually have and use has been intentionally impaired and you are not fully aware of your surroundings. For bikers it is used just for speech communications and is not as immersive so they still have a perception of other sounds around them.

On that basis is it then illegal towear a crash helmet in such as an Atom or Caterham etc?

I've been told that it is, but any copper who pulled you for wearing a helmet in an aeroscreened car is an idiot.

[mattviatura]

groomi said:

Bikers can use intercoms in their helmets and various places sell intercoms for kit cars mounted in headphones rather than helmets.

So waht's the lagality of using these on the road? And if it's legal to wear headphones for an intercom, would it therefore be legal to listen to music through them too?

Are you Craig David?

[baz1985]

So a nice pair of Shure and I don't have to listen to that BOSE ste any longer.

[groomi]

mattviatura said:

groomi said:

Bikers can use intercoms in their helmets and various places sell intercoms for kit cars mounted in headphones rather than helmets.

So waht's the lagality of using these on the road? And if it's legal to wear headphones for an intercom, would it therefore be legal to listen to music through them too?

Are you Craig David?

No. I do however drive a Westfield in which the wind noise is deafening on a long journey. I would like to do some longer drives in it, say to the beach or Le Mans etc. but would like to listen to some music and have some respite from the wind noise.

'Tis a simple question really and a couple of people on this thread need to dismount their high horses and join in with the reasoned debate everyone else is having.

[groomi]

robinhood21 said:

No idea on the legalities but, it should be an offence. Would be dangerous to be driving and unaware of what is happening around one.

This was my first thought, but then I though like richyb:

richyb said:

Totally deaf people can drive legally in the UK so why would headphones make a difference?

So I don't see how it can be illegal. It's not something I'd want to do around town, but on motorways I don't see a problem really...

[robinhood21]

groomi said:

So I don't see how it can be illegal. It's not something I'd want to do around town, but on motorways I don't see a problem really...

I agree. It should not be a problem on motorways. I expect it is a grey area (I assume, perhaps SP&L) and one could be prosecuted if driving with headphones were shown to have caused the driver to drive carelessly.