Wearing headphones while driving

"Bad Idea Hat" (taoistlumberjack)
08/09/2014 at 16:47 • Filed to: None

From day one, my dad has taught me a number of driving truths that have held up well. Stay out of the fast lane except to pass. No drinking and driving. Beware Indiana plates.

The one I didn't understand initially was "don't wear headphones while driving." My first car was an '88 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais, which had only radio. I liked to listen to my own tunes, so I figured that the headphones thing could be bent a little. It only took me a few times being on the road that, while I could blast the radio as loud as I could, it still didn't drown out enough of the noise to make me fully situationally unaware. Headphones, meanwhile, made me deaf to the world.

I ask Oppo this; legality of this being not important for the means of discussion, what is your opinion on wearing headphones while driving? I ask because I've seen a lot more people doing this in the past month than I usually see. It's more often earbuds, but I've also witnessed a couple comically large headphones sitting atop peoples' heads on the highway.

DISCUSSION (9)

Brian Silvestro > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 16:50

People that do it are just plain stupid. If someone's honking at you, you need to be able to hear it.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 16:51

IMO One earbud in is fine, especially if you're using it as a headset for a phone or something. Two is dumb, you can't hear what's going on around you.

Textured Soy Protein > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 16:51

It's pretty fucking stupid, for exactly the reason you said: listening to the car's stereo still lets you hear what's going on around you. Headphones don't.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 16:54

Hate it. A head unit with aux in can be had for very small amounts of money these days. I bought Ł1 packs of CDs and fill a new disc every week or so since I don't have aux in. Not hard to avoid using earphones.

Jcarr > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 17:01

There's a reason it's illegal in many places. Makes me wonder, though; is it illegal to wear earplugs in those same areas?

Leadbull > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 17:13

You need to be able to hear other traffic.

To be fair, blasting the stereo at an ungodly level isn't much better.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 17:29

I've seen people wearing beats while holding their phone in front of their face talking into it.

yamahog > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 17:38

I am guilty of one earbud in while motorcycling, but you can hardly hear anything over the wind noise even without music at highway speeds anyway.

vicariousILive > Bad Idea Hat
08/09/2014 at 23:51

anytime I see anyone... I should really say an adult with head phones on while driving I just shake my head at their lack of imagination and innovation or their inability to do a simple Google search on how to get tunes through the car audio system. If the car was built before 2005 there is a good chance there is a tape deck. Buy the damn adapter! If you have an aftermarket deck there is a good chance that there auxiliary port/Bluetooth. My old school Pioneer deck had an rc cable adapter that plugged into the CD changer port... Bought an rc to headphone jack adapter seemingly endless tunes from the iPod.

I was glad I was able to hear the sound of my rear wheel bearing going out. Would have been tough with head phones. I worked on a farm swathing hay when I was a teenager. My boss did not want me even listening to any music because he wanted me to be able to notice anything change in sound. There have been times where I had my music cranked up to 11 had a hard time being fully aware then.

Bottom line headphones are bad, umm kay