In ear headphones whilst driving?

[AnilS]

.............. is it illegal?

I know of bikers who wear them and seen a rise in people using ipods/mp3 players in their cars.

I want to drive the Merc topless and don't want to embarass others with my music collection , but have never done so as I want to be aware of my surroundings.

The in ear headphones I have;

Play.com - Buy Creative EP-630 / In Ear Headphones online at Play.com and read reviews. Free delivery to UK and Europe!

seem to have a element of noise isolation. They came with a warning in the instructions stating prohibited use in car and bikes, but that seemed a default warning. They work well in the house.
I have them connected to music off my phone and I would hear my phone activate in the car and use it as handsfree (in a fashion).

Thoughts

 

[Bellow]

I use over the ear open backed (Grado SR60) headsphones and can still hear anything else I need to. At an absolute push, all I have to do is pull them off my head and leave them hanging around my neck - at which point the music reduces to a distant hiss.

I'm near certain there are those with conventional speaker set-ups playing loudly enough to be in a lesser position to hear external noises than I am.

So, open backed let's you hear but are over the ear type - which may be more visible than you want but have the virtues outlined above. Are there such ear phones as open backed in the ear type?

 

[Stratman]

I would caution against earphones that isolate you from outside sounds.

Deaf people don't rely on audio cues to make their way in the world, you do whether you realise it or not. By removing a source of sensory input which your brain relies on for information you could be heading for trouble.

When I rode motor bikes I tried earplugs. Once. My roadcraft was all over the place because I wasn't hearing the things I hadn't realised I normally heard, my speed was too high because I didn't recognise the engine sounds.

 

[Mr E]

AFAIK it's not specifically legislated against. Closest reference we could find in the office is Highway Code Rule 148:

"148: Safe driving and riding needs concentration. Avoid distractions when driving or riding such as
* loud music (this may mask other sounds)..."

Problem with in-ear buds is that they do block off external sound too (that's why I like in-ear monitors when gigging - don't get deafened by drummers any more). Personally I wouldn't while driving - and I certainly don't when riding.

 

[Mr B.]

from a ex policemen view i wouldn't do it cause you can be done for driving without due care and attention, so i would just let every one know you have some fun taste in tunes

 

[jaymanek]

Its not a good idea... for some reason with in ear headphones, I do zone out much more easily... I used to do it when I had a scooter in London and when I found myself sandwiched between two buses, I realised my attention had been more with Jay Z rather than Jay M.

 

[mebs]

get yourself some beats by Dr dre.these are the ones I use.....fantastic..

Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Tour High Resolution In-Ear Headphones with ControlTalk

 

[flango]

Some good discussion on this subject on this police forum

Listening to mp3 players while driving - Law: England & Wales - PoliceSpecials.com Forum

 

[MOCAŠ]

My roadcraft was all over the place because I wasn't hearing the things I hadn't realised I normally heard, my speed was too high because I didn't recognise the engine sounds.

When I first started driving (many years ago), I also tried using headphones - once. I had very little awareness of what was going on around me, and also found may gear changes were all over the place as I couldn't detect the engine note. The "experiment" last about 5 minutes, and has never been repeated.

Don't know whether open-backed headphones would make an appreciable difference, but as others have said, I wouldn't recommend using any such device while driving.

 

[Palfrem]

Just watching pedestrians in a world of their own whilst listening to music is sufficient to suggest it's not going to be a great idea when driving.

For cyclists it's perhaps bordering on suicidal

 

[brucemillar]

By a Vaxhaul Nova and install an industrial sized sub woofer in the rear. You need something that will set off tsunami alerts in the Thames estuary. Whilst this will not be as loud as the average bone head that we have in Sittingbourne ! it will allow your neighbours and wife's lover, to know that your arrival home will be in the next few hours. Oh and I believe that it is completely legal.

 

[Bellow]

When I first started driving (many years ago), I also tried using headphones - once. I had very little awareness of what was going on around me, and also found may gear changes were all over the place as I couldn't detect the engine note. The "experiment" last about 5 minutes, and has never been repeated.

Don't know whether open-backed headphones would make an appreciable difference, but as others have said, I wouldn't recommend using any such device while driving.

I suppose I should have pointed out that my car has two pedals and all gearchanging is done without having to manipulate the throttle.
In any case, unless it is a very smooth drivetrain (it may be) the engine can be 'felt' through the contact points. (Music to ears leaving the rest of body to detect car only as opposed to all of body subjected to music with conventional audio and still trying to discern car. A useful seperation)
Absolutely I've been in cars with conventional audio and the sound be dominating in a way that earphones aren't.

As for distraction - it doesn't even register on the scale that clocks disappearing concentration (to driving) while conducting a conversation on a phone....

 

[st13phil]

When I rode motor bikes I tried earplugs. Once. My roadcraft was all over the place because I wasn't hearing the things I hadn't realised I normally heard, my speed was too high because I didn't recognise the engine sounds.

I've heard this argument before and, frankly, it's complete tosh.

I never ride a motorcycle without wearing earplugs and have done so for a couple of hundred thousand miles over the years. Had I not used hearing protection I'd now be deaf.

 

[Bellow]

Just watching pedestrians in a world of their own whilst listening to music is sufficient to suggest it's not going to be a great idea when driving.

Walking and driving - they're not the same. Only one is 'tested'.

For cyclists it's perhaps bordering on suicidal

Concur fully on the above though.

 

[Bellow]

I never ride a motorcycle without wearing earplugs and have done so for a couple of hundred thousand miles over the years. Had I not used hearing protection I'd now be deaf.

Ditto.

 

[artyman]

Just had an instance of some 'yoof' driving by and treating the street to his choice of music. I'm quite sure that the excessive volume must be a distraction to ones attention when driving. In view of the prevalence of younger folk involved in accidents I wonder how much of a contributing factor this is where speed is not deemed to be the main reason.

 

[corned]

Just relax in the knowledge that a lifetime of tinnitus and/or deafness awaits said youth in the coming years.

 

[MOCAŠ]

By a Vaxhaul Nova and install an industrial sized sub woofer in the rear. You need something that will set off tsunami alerts in the Thames estuary. Whilst this will not be as loud as the average bone head that we have in Sittingbourne ! it will allow your neighbours and wife's lover, to know that your arrival home will be in the next few hours. Oh and I believe that it is completely legal.

Surely if members of the public can music from a car, it becomes a public performance, requiring a PRS licence...

 

[Dieselman]

For cyclists it's perhaps bordering on suicidal

As a cyclist I agree here. I would never wear headphones or earphones when riding, you need to be able to hear traffic approaching.

 

[christopherwk]

As a motorcyclist I always wear earplugs made by these people -
Motorcyclist Ear Plugs

I never had a problem of being aware of other traffic, and keeping to the speed limit, otherwise I wouldn't have passed my RoSPA and IAM bike tests while wearing them.