Is it legal to drive with headphones on?

jobless

Just thought i'd ask, i saw a youngfella belting down the m50 with a huge pair of beats headphones on...

Seems very irresponsible to me

colm_mcm

This was discussed fairly recently actually.

Have a read
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=85887740

BigEejit

Dunno if it answers the question about the legality of it though. I have seen idiots driving along with their beats headphones on and quite often they seem to be completely in their own little world ...

visual

Don't think there is a specific law against it but driving without due care and consideration would be a catch all for this foolish behaviour.

The Dagda

visual wrote: »

Don't think there is a specific law against it but driving without due care and consideration would be a catch all for this foolish behaviour.

Simply wearing headphones is foolish?

What about using headphones as part of a hands free kit for a mobile phone?

Taylor365

I used to leave my headphones in when coming out of the gym. Soon as i got out the car park they came out. Its like cycling with headphones on, no awareness of your surroundings at all. Hearing your engine also plays a big part.

whirlpool

The Dagda wrote: »

Simply wearing headphones is foolish?

What about using headphones as part of a hands free kit for a mobile phone?

One-ear earphones is relatively okay would imagine. But not both ears. And headphones? Headphones and driving is a complete NO. For any reason at all.

djimi

The Dagda wrote: »

Simply wearing headphones is foolish?

What about using headphones as part of a hands free kit for a mobile phone?

Handsfree kits (should) only have one ear piece. A decent set of normal headphones will have two noise cancelling ear pieces. Very different prospect.

Whether its specifically prohibited or not to wear headphones, I would imagine that if it was found to be a contributing factor in an accident that you caused then you would be done for driving without due care and attention. Same would go for having the radio too loud Id imagine, or anything that unnecessarily reduces any of your senses.

ThisRegard

visual wrote: »

Don't think there is a specific law against it but driving without due care and consideration would be a catch all for this foolish behaviour.

So deaf people are constantly being brought up in court are they ?

username123

Deaf people are allowed to drive so can't see how headphones matter tbh.

Cabaal

ThisRegard wrote: »

So deaf people are constantly being brought up in court are they ?

The still use the rest of their senses,

I'd imagine if you were involved in a crash and the Gardai found out you had headphones on and you can hear perfectly they'd likely take a very dim view in you purposely disabling one of your senses while driving.

A person with one eye can also drive, it doesn't mean its smart or clever to go around driving with one eye closed when you have perfect vision in both eye's.

Again people with long term disability's can make up for such a loss far better then some fool thats too lazy to take headphones off.

Anjobe

Deaf people don't have music blaring in their ears - the argument against headphones is distraction.

ThisRegard

I still don't buy it. People have music on loud enough that they can't hear anything anyway, I haven't seen stats on the RSA website detailing the high number of accidents caused by loud music.

GTE

The issue with headphones is that the perception from people is that the playback material is taking their mind off the driving experience more than the radio would as it masks background noise of driving.

This background noise could be important to driving like noticing other cars while it is in a blind spot, or whatever it could be. All I know is that sound does play a part in vehicle perception for me. I could never speak for a deaf person (and wonder who here can) so I won't make any comments on their driving abilities.

I would imagine that where someone is getting engrossed in music while driving, the person is probably not checking mirrors among other things and generally just isn't paying attention. The music itself could probably be doing the job it should be doing and getting a person into the music. That is of course assuming that the playback material is music.

So that raises the question for debate about how distracting various things can be such as music, radio, phone calls, in car talking.

Personally, I do not see any problem in listening to music while driving but I would be worried of the masking effects of the music over background noise when using headphones.

Taylor365

I sometimes have music really loud.

I can still hear my engine and traffic around me.

Like comparing cycling with headphones in or your phone in your pocket playing music out its speakers.

ThisRegard

Taylor365 wrote: »

I can still hear my engine

You just proved the argument against wearing them alright, your car is screaming at you in second gear on the M50. Either that, or you have a crap car stereo. :P

I'm not disagreeing that deaf people would have heightened senses, but it won't be an offence covered by careless driving unless your crashing all over the place.

If it was brought under such an umbrella, it'll just be another thing for people around here to moan about anyway, blah blah another thing that won't be enforced yada yada.

Truckermal

Its one of my pet hates along with the little arseholes wearing a hoddy over there head whilst driving..

ThisRegard

OSI wrote: »

Can't you honestly not see the difference in overlaying the external sounds with that of a radio, and blocking out all external sounds completely and playing music exclusively?

I can drive around in my car and a car can drive by me and I'll hear their music, I'll know if a car is coming down the street towards me, not by the noise of the engine, but by the volume of their music. People sitting in those cars will not be aware of any external sounds whatsoever.

djimi

ThisRegard wrote: »

I still don't buy it. People have music on loud enough that they can't hear anything anyway, I haven't seen stats on the RSA website detailing the high number of accidents caused by loud music.

Buy it or dont buy it; the bottom line is that if you cause an accident and it is discovered that something like this was a contributing factor then it could well be used against you. Driving without due care and attention is a fairly broad catch all offence for matters such as this, and limiting/removing one of your senses unnecessarily certainly could fall under it.

GTE

Taylor365 wrote: »

I sometimes have music really loud.

I can still hear my engine and traffic around me.

Like comparing cycling with headphones in or your phone in your pocket playing music out its speakers.

I can't see the aim of that post but the use of over ear headphones can overpower background noise fairly easily where car speakers can hardly overcome it, in fact its weakness in overpowering background noise that has people turn their car radio up so loud.

pippip

Anjobe wrote: »

Deaf people don't have music blaring in their ears - the argument against headphones is distraction.

Suppose we should outlaw car stereos too?

This argument is ridiculous. As in the previous thread, there is as much danger in wearing headphones as their is loud music on a stereo. Possibly even more danger if your listening to a conversation on the radio i.e. newstalk, matt cooper etc.

Anjobe

pippip wrote: »

Suppose we should outlaw car stereos too?

There are plenty of posts earlier in the thread explaining how the use of headphones might be more of a distraction than listening to the stereo through the speakers.

visual

Best post from other thread is

I can smell danager so I drive around blind folded


I sometimes use headphones in work to block out surrounding noise so I can focus on what I'm doing on my laptop in my own little world.


But driving I need to be aware of my surroundings.

Choosing to be a selfish idiot only interested in self gratitudfaction doesn't make a responsible safe driver.

visual

Best post from other thread is

I can smell danager so I drive around blind folded


I sometimes use headphones in work to block out surrounding noise so I can focus on what I'm doing on my laptop in my own little world.


But driving I need to be aware of my surroundings.

Choosing to be a selfish idiot only interested in self gratitudfaction doesn't make a responsible safe driver.

dgt

With the radio blaring mad I can still hear road noise, squeaks, exhaust note etc. With headphones in I can only hear music

And after being nearly ran over in the city, sideswiped on the motorway, cars approaching me on my side, dozey f*cks at the lights all with headphones in, its a selfish dangerous habit

Seems the pro headphone wearing brigade haven't experienced any of this but when its caused an accident it'll be too late.

I await to be told otherwise by someone wearing headphones while driving :rolleyes:

djimi

pippip wrote: »

Suppose we should outlaw car stereos too?

This argument is ridiculous. As in the previous thread, there is as much danger in wearing headphones as their is loud music on a stereo. Possibly even more danger if your listening to a conversation on the radio i.e. newstalk, matt cooper etc.

There is a world of difference between listening to music/radio, even at loud volume, on a car stereo, and listening to music half an inch from/actually in your ear wearing noise cancelling headphones (even at moderate level). Wearing headphones has much more of an effect of "being in your own little world".

GTE

djimi wrote: »

There is a world of difference between listening to music/radio, even at loud volume, on a car stereo, and listening to music half an inch from/actually in your ear wearing noise cancelling headphones (even at moderate level). Wearing headphones has much more of an effect of "being in your own little world".

The effect is even drastic without noise cancelling headphones so there is no need to limit the debate to those. That said, they would certainly create a worst case scenario for less time varied noise sources like passing car noise etc.

Taylor365

ThisRegard wrote: »

You just proved the argument against wearing them alright, your car is screaming at you in second gear on the M50. Either that, or you have a crap car stereo. :P

I'm not disagreeing that deaf people would have heightened senses, but it won't be an offence covered by careless driving unless your crashing all over the place.

If it was brought under such an umbrella, it'll just be another thing for people around here to moan about anyway, blah blah another thing that won't be enforced yada yada.

Wut? :pac: The inside of my car isn't sound proofed. Just like you'll always hear your tyres on the road at a fast speed.

And i have it up at an optimum level for the sweet sound of deep base. I'm no country fool using a stock radio with zero base cranked all the way up that sounds like a bunch of cats scratching at cardboard (no offense to country folk, just all my mates are like that from outside the pale :P).

Be my guest though. Wear your beats while driving. If you don't hear that bike or car in your blind spot, at least you can blame Dre.

YbFocus

This is one of my pet hates, people cannot be tuned into the road around them with these things on.
Not being able to hear what the car is doing, road noise and other users noise would seriously inhibit me, I'd find it terribly hard to drive.
This along with phones etc should all be left alone while driving!

ThisRegard

I love the assumption that I wear headphones while driving.

georgefalls

I drive an Alfa. The sweet music of the engine note, is all I need

PickledLime

If the driver was wearing open back headphones it wouldn't be as much as an issue (in that you can still hear most sounds around you), but even then they make it difficult to tell where other sounds are coming from.

YbFocus

Sorry to drag this up again but the main reason I hate headphone wearing drivers is they're obllivious to things like the emergency services!
There main mode of warning in traffic is the siren as in heavy traffic they will be heard long before seen. These fools then are puttering along and there is an ambulance etc trying to get past.
So not only are they a danger to themselves and people around them but they casue hassle for people not even near them!

I have seen this instance once before with a man my age wearing them in front of me in traffic, minutes later I pulled in for an ambulance and he continued in the only lane available in our direction with an ambulance sitting behind him unable to do anything! (heavy static traffic on the other side unable to give way)
It was at least 200 metres at town speeds before he realised that he was in a car and had responsibilities!! Oh I was angry :mad:

GTE

PickledLime wrote: »

If the driver was wearing open back headphones it wouldn't be as much as an issue (in that you can still hear most sounds around you), but even then they make it difficult to tell where other sounds are coming from.

That is not really correct. In principal having the open backed would be better as they allow in background noise but in practice the general user, when playing music through them, would have them louder than closed cans to drown out the background noise being let in.

PickledLime

bbk wrote: »

That is not really correct. In principal having the open backed would be better as they allow in background noise but in practice the general user, when playing music through them, would have them louder than closed cans to drown out the background noise being let in.

Fair point, I guess the only time I ever wear my open backs are at home, on the hifi (where they're meant to be used) so I never thought of that,

Anyone who wears any kind of headphones when they're driving is a but mad/irresponsible in my book.

Taylor365

ThisRegard wrote: »

I love the assumption that I wear headphones while driving.

So you're defending something you know nothing about....



?

ThisRegard

Sigh :rolleyes: By your logic, everyone on the con side also don't know what they're talking about.

H3llR4iser

ThisRegard wrote: »

Sigh :rolleyes: By your logic, everyone on the con side also don't know what they're talking about.

Quite wrong...just about everyone has used headphones or earphones at some point, during various activities. I know for a fact that the cheap 2.99 Euro earphones I use on my MP3 players are more than enough to completely cancel out the crappy music blasting out of the speakers in the gym, and make me "isolated" enough not to realize some colleague has been trying to tell me something for the past 5 minutes while at work.

Therefore, I do not NEED to try and drive with them on to know it would be detrimental.

ThisRegard

Eh, that's my point. The logic of the guy I was responding to says I can't argue for one side because I don't wear headphones when I drive, his loigic then implies that you can't argue for the other side either as you also never tried.

Taylor365

ThisRegard wrote: »

Sigh :rolleyes: By your logic, everyone on the con side also don't know what they're talking about.

I've driven with earphones on. I've said that....

You wearing earphone right now? :pac:

fryup

OSI wrote: »

I've waded in on this argument before, as a deaf (almost) driver. As someone with severe hearing difficulties I have adapted to use my other senses to over compensate for whatever awareness I lose through a lack of hearing.

are deaf people allowed to drive?? i thought they weren't

vandriver

I despair when I see young lads driving with the double whammy of headphones and a hoody up.

ThisRegard

Taylor365 wrote: »

I've driven with earphones on. I've said that....

You wearing earphone right now? :pac:

What ? I can't hear you at the moment, I'm wearing a towel.