Using iPod/earphones whilst driving

[Kentish]

I notice a lot of people do this now.

I do sometimes as I have an iPhone and I can take calls easily handsfree and also listen to iPhone satnav directions.

But is it legal?

I saw a girl in a saxo the other day that had been broken into and the door bent out so badly that you could see around it and into the car (and fit a fist through), I daresay it was quite noisy inside on a run

I could see why she had her iPod plumbed in

[JamesK]

No idea about legality but I've always thought it really dangerous to listen to music through earphones when on a bike or in a car. Your peripheral hearing is massively impaired compared to ambient noise through speakers etc.

Using earphones for hands free etc is obviously different to loud music and the in-ear headphones are worse than the ones that sit in the outer ear but I think the point stands that headphones in cars = bad.

[qooqiiu]

Completely legal.

[pilchardthecat]

Kentish said:

I saw a girl ... fit a fist through... I daresay it was quite noisy

[HeavySoul]

qooqiiu said:

Completely legal.

Really?!

I was always told it was almost certainly NOT legal due to not being able to heard emergency service sirens and also car horns in an emergency situation...

[G0ldfysh]

pilchardthecat said:

Kentish said:

I saw a girl ... fit a fist through... I daresay it was quite noisy

[Bill]

JamesK said:

Using earphones for hands free etc is obviously different to loud music and the in-ear headphones are worse than the ones that sit in the outer ear but I think the point stands that headphones in cars = bad.

Headphones vs loud music... It makes no odds IMO.

[MrLou]

HeavySoul said:

qooqiiu said:

Completely legal.

Really?!

I was always told it was almost certainly NOT legal due to not being able to heard emergency service sirens and also car horns in an emergency situation...

Hint: Are deaf people allowed to drive?

[maccas99]

It must be DWDCA

[OnTheOverrun]

It is illegal in virtually every country except the UK.

I await the usual "it must be safe because deaf people are allowed to drive" routine that is mandatory on these threads!

[HeavySoul]

MrLou said:

HeavySoul said:

qooqiiu said:

Completely legal.

Really?!

I was always told it was almost certainly NOT legal due to not being able to heard emergency service sirens and also car horns in an emergency situation...

Hint: Are deaf people allowed to drive?

Hearing aids?

[Reload]

Bill said:

Headphones vs loud music... It makes no odds IMO.

True, but there's no need to have really loud music. With earphones in and music at a moderate level, you're still effectively blocking out any surrounding noises. Which is a pretty stupid thing to do whilst driving, in my opinion.

[ZesPak]

I see this everyday too, and over here (BE) it's illegal.

But why would one ask? The sound of an iPod isn't that great, and a radio to link it to/with an usb drive/... costs nearly nothing these days.

Never found the need to do the same, and I have all my music stored digitally.

[qooqiiu]

It is legal,BUT...

A total pig of a pig might if he/her wished do you for "driving without due care an attention if you faIL TO NOTICE SOMETING HAPPENING AROUND YOU THAT they put down to the earphones.

[davemac250]

qooqiiu said:

It is legal,BUT...

A total pig of a pig might if he/her wished do you for "driving without due care an attention if you faIL TO NOTICE SOMETING HAPPENING AROUND YOU THAT they put down to the earphones.

Come again?

Pig of a pig?

For this?

Meh.

[MrLou]

HeavySoul said:

MrLou said:

HeavySoul said:

qooqiiu said:

Completely legal.

Really?!

I was always told it was almost certainly NOT legal due to not being able to heard emergency service sirens and also car horns in an emergency situation...

Hint: Are deaf people allowed to drive?

Hearing aids?

Profoundly deaf people can't hear anything, with or without a hearing aid. Are they allowed to drive?

Here's another hint: When one takes a driving test the examiner will ask you to read a number plate from a set distance, does he ask you to listen for a noise?

[HeavySoul]

MrLou said:

HeavySoul said:

MrLou said:

HeavySoul said:

qooqiiu said:

Completely legal.

Really?!

I was always told it was almost certainly NOT legal due to not being able to heard emergency service sirens and also car horns in an emergency situation...

Hint: Are deaf people allowed to drive?

Hearing aids?

Profoundly deaf people can't hear anything, with or without a hearing aid. Are they allowed to drive?

Here's another hint: When one takes a driving test the examiner will ask you to read a number plate from a set distance, does he ask you to listen for a noise?

Thanks for the hints - I think I understand your point now.

[OnTheOverrun]

MrLou said:

HeavySoul said:

MrLou said:

HeavySoul said:

qooqiiu said:

Completely legal.

Really?!

I was always told it was almost certainly NOT legal due to not being able to heard emergency service sirens and also car horns in an emergency situation...

Hint: Are deaf people allowed to drive?

Hearing aids?

Profoundly deaf people can't hear anything, with or without a hearing aid. Are they allowed to drive?

Here's another hint: When one takes a driving test the examiner will ask you to read a number plate from a set distance, does he ask you to listen for a noise?

Here's a hint for you: people with one leg are allowed to drive, does that make it a good idea to tie your legs together before going for a drive?

Here's another hint: When one takes a driving test do you think you would fail if you ignored an emergency services siren until you could actually see the flashing lights? Do you think you would pass your test if you took it with earphones on?

[Conor D]

I one got a spin in a Lotus Elise (open top) and the guy had two sets of aviation headphones for listening to music.. I can't remember if they had microphones or not.

Thought it was quite cool.

[OnTheOverrun]

pilchardthecat said:

I for one am really enjoying the deeply patronising tone in this thread.

We should talk about fisting instead.

That's the lounge, not GG. . . . . . .