[Mr Joboto]

I drive long distances with my KSC75s, better than my car audio, lol

 

[ace5000]

It's illegal in Ohio, for obvious reasons...

 

[johnfl]

Quote:

It's illegal in Ohio, for obvious reasons...

illegal in Florida also , but I see it on a daily basis...

 

[Sumflow]

When I started this thread I was trying to find out about the laws of earphone use.  At that time I was not using them while driving.  But after the pathetic excuses I have gotten here, now "I do not leave home without them."  We have seen here that earphone use has three points.  The first area was, is it legal?

 

From what has been reported here so far, you can wear earphones in 80% of the states.  So clearly that is not a reason not to wear your plugs.  Then we had the idea that the earphones cut off all outside sounds.  Without the music this is not true.  You can hear conversation when the music is off with IEMs.  We had the suggestion that not hearing effects driver’s performance.  This is true.  That is why before two-way communication became the norm, Formula One drivers wore soft, custom in-ear earplugs, so that they could drive better.  You can control what you see but not what you hear.  Luxury cars are very quiet; deaf people drive as well as anyone else.  Clearly the use of earplugs for dampening noise does not hurt driver’s skills.  In 1933 cars were so quite all that you could hear was the clock.  The same thing was said about cars twenty-five years later.  Here is some evidence from back then.  Today's cars are built quieter.

​

The third area is the volume or loudness of music.  This will provide acoustic isolation no matter if the speakers are in our ears or all around the car.  I see kids with duel 12” woofers in their cars, setting off the car alarms of cars around them.  You can tell when emergency vehicles are coming because of the flashing lights, and because the effect it has on the cars around you.  Just like you would have to do in a car with loud speakers.  [size=10.0pt]When you see the cars coming at you pulling over, check your rear view mirrors![/size]   Earphones should not be the target. 

 

[Teerdz]

I sometimes ride my bike while having my IE8s in. And this month I experienced how dangerous it was. I was almost hit by a bus. This last month it happened 3 times to me. The isolation just closes me off from the warning sounds, IE8 and isolation .
 
One of the three times I was walking. Watching straight forward, If it wasn't for a friend of me I would have been hit by a bus. He pulled me back from the road...
 
I'll never be wearing IEMs when I have to watch my safety. But in the city it's ideal closing you off from the people and the noise they produce.

 

[flaming_june]

I usually use my px100 or shure IEMs while driving.
 
Yes I use headphones while driving.  Y'all better watch out.  I don't give a fudge I'll hit a deer.

 

[hahahigh]

I drive an IS250 - a car from a company generally well-known for a quiet interior - and I listen to my music at reasonable volumes. When I do feel the need to crank up the stereo, I usually roll down one or both front windows. It is my personal preference that I must be able to hear road noise at all times when I am driving. For me, at least, I have more of a tendency to listen louder on headphones than speakers - I suspect it is in part because my speakers do offer more bass and immersion at the same volume level as my headphones. I am sure that I am not the only one. For this reason (among others), I would never wear them while driving. Beyond this, if the earbuds are hooked to to portable DAPs, changing songs also presents a problem. It's much easier and safer to flick a button on the steering wheel or reach down to the control panel than to look down and fumble through navigation pages on an iPod.
 
On another note, I can't imagine how people drive with hands-on cell phones. I have been forced to do that one or two times in critical situations that demanded immediate attention, and I can truthfully say that it was a source of severe distraction. One of the times I was driving a very familiar quarter mile route from my school to the nearest coffee shop, and even then the distraction was such that it made the drive daunting. It is a bit horrifying to me to see drivers zooming 80mph along crowded highways while chatting on their mobiles.

 

[radu]

Wow, not sure where all the hate over driving with headphones/earbuds came from?  I tend to use my Yuin Pk3's while i'm driving long distances because my car stereo is stock and does not have connections for my D2.  
 
I've been using earbuds while driving for many years with no issues... YMMV 
 
I don't understand why people use every excuse they can except the obvious one when it comes to distracted driving... You cannot outlaw every possible distraction, and even if you did people would break the law.  The problem is not letting people drive with earbuds, its that stupid people who don't pay attention make it look bad for the rest of us.  If you outlaw cell phones, earbuds, or any kind of music while driving those same stupid people will still have wrecks.  The issue is not the distractions its the people themselves.
 
How should a society handle this?  Outlawing the distractions is akin to saying that guns kill people so lets outlaw guns... Placing the responsibility of the person and their actions on the object that was distracting them and not on the person him/herself is unsound policy.
 
/rant over
 
That all being said, I do empathize with people who have been hurt or lost family friends through car accidents, but outlawing everything under the sun while driving is not going to stop the problem.

 

[Nebby]

It's a bit more than just 20% of the states, more like 34% and this was just from a quick google using "headphone law" I wouldn't doubt it if anti-cellphone laws covered headphone usage in the other states.
 
Alaska - 13 AAC 04.260 no headphones
California -not allowed in both ears
Colorado - no headphones
Florida - Not allowed in both ears
Georgia - Not allowed in both ears
Illinois - No headphones
Louisiana - CVC27400 not allowed to have in both ears
Maine -Title 29-A, M.R.S.A., section 2118. not allowed as "distracted driving"
Maryland - Not allowed in both ears
Massachusetts - Not allowed in both ears chapter 90 section 13
Minnesota - Not allowed in both ears
New York - Not allowed in both ears
Ohio - Not allowed in both ears
Pennsylvania - Not allowed in both ears
Rhode Island - Not allowed in both ears
Virginia - not allowed to have in both ears
Washington - RCW 46.37.480 no headphones  
Alaska - 13 AAC 04.260 no headphones
California -not allowed in both ears
Colorado - no headphones
Florida - Not allowed in both ears
Georgia - Not allowed in both ears
Illinois - No headphones
Louisiana - CVC27400 not allowed to have in both ears
Maine -Title 29-A, M.R.S.A., section 2118. not allowed as "distracted driving"
Maryland - Not allowed in both ears
Massachusetts - Not allowed in both ears chapter 90 section 13
Minnesota - Not allowed in both ears
New York - Not allowed in both ears
Ohio - Not allowed in both ears
Pennsylvania - Not allowed in both ears
Rhode Island - Not allowed in both ears
Virginia - not allowed to have in both ears
Washington - RCW 46.37.480 no headphones
 
Alaska - 13 AAC 04.260 no headphones
California -not allowed in both ears
Colorado - no headphones
Florida - Not allowed in both ears
Georgia - Not allowed in both ears
Illinois - No headphones
Louisiana - CVC27400 not allowed to have in both ears
Maine -Title 29-A, M.R.S.A., section 2118. not allowed as "distracted driving"
Maryland - Not allowed in both ears
Massachusetts - Not allowed in both ears chapter 90 section 13
Minnesota - Not allowed in both ears
New York - Not allowed in both ears
Ohio - Not allowed in both ears
Pennsylvania - Not allowed in both ears
Rhode Island - Not allowed in both ears
Virginia - not allowed to have in both ears
Washington - RCW 46.37.480 no headphones
Alaska - 13 AAC 04.260 no headphones
California -not allowed in both ears
Colorado - no headphones
Florida - Not allowed in both ears
Georgia - Not allowed in both ears
Illinois - No headphones
Louisiana - CVC27400 not allowed to have in both ears
Maine -Title 29-A, M.R.S.A., section 2118. not allowed as "distracted driving"
Maryland - Not allowed in both ears
Massachusetts - Not allowed in both ears chapter 90 section 13
Minnesota - Not allowed in both ears
New York - Not allowed in both ears
Ohio - Not allowed in both ears
Pennsylvania - Not allowed in both ears
Rhode Island - Not allowed in both ears
Virginia - not allowed to have in both ears
Washington - RCW 46.37.480 no headphones
On that note, while I agree that you can't legislate away stupidity, I believe the intent is to provide incentive for the less inclined to follow the law. That seems to be the trend in legislation.
Quote:

From what has been reported here so far, you can wear earphones in 80% of the states.  So clearly that is not a reason not to wear your plugs.  We had the idea that the earphones cut off all outside sounds.  Without the music this is not true.  You can hear conversation when the music is off with IEM. 

 ​

 

Alaska - 13 AAC 04.260 no headphones
California -not allowed in both ears
Colorado - no headphones
Florida - Not allowed in both ears
Georgia - Not allowed in both ears
Illinois - No headphones
Louisiana - CVC27400 not allowed to have in both ears
Maine -Title 29-A, M.R.S.A., section 2118. not allowed as "distracted driving"
Maryland - Not allowed in both ears
Massachusetts - Not allowed in both ears chapter 90 section 13
Minnesota - Not allowed in both ears
New York - Not allowed in both ears
Ohio - Not allowed in both ears
Pennsylvania - Not allowed in both ears
Rhode Island - Not allowed in both ears
Virginia - not allowed to have in both ears
Washington - RCW 46.37.480 no headphones

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

 

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Brought to you by the producers of Reefer Madness.
 

 

[vYu223]

Hehe, in this thread, you can tell who's using logic, and who's using emotions. It's hilarious.
 
In my everyday commute to school, I drive without music. WHY, DO YOU ASK?
 
I'll explain. The road noise from the freeway is loud in my toyota camry '98. If I turn on the radio, and turn the volume up to a level where I can actually hear what's going on in the radio station, I'll be damaging my hearing. Too loud. Also uncomfortable.
 
Also, putting in earplugs is a hassle. I'm too lazy (however, if I rode a motorcycle, I would use earplugs every time I rode {btw, I've never driven/owned a motorcycle}). IEM's? Same thing - too lazy.
 
I drive without music, and without anything in my ears. However, my reason is completely different from the ones given by the ones who are opposed to using headphones while driving. It is merely a coincidence that I don't drive with these extra distractions. I guess I'm "lucky" I'm following the law.
 
However, if I DID have a nice car that isolated the interior from road/outside noise, then I would probably turn on the radio to a quiet volume (where I can actually hear what's playing, but the SPL isn't damaging to my hearing). But wait! You're not opposed to that! You're O.K. with the radio being on vs. wearing headphones. Let me tell you this - turning the car radio's volume up to a level where you can actually hear the music vs. listening to IEM's at the lowest possible volume where you can still hear the music... Both situations are EQUALLY distracting and dangerous (actually, the former situation is more dangerous - that is, to your hearing. Too loud - at least in my car. ymmv). And so are billboards and passengers (damn them!!! haha /sarcasm).

 

[Sumflow]

Passengers is the worst.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vYu223 /img/forum/go_quote.gif  And so are billboards and passengers

Hay in Hawaii we do not have Billboards, what are those?

 

[vYu223]

Sorry, I was too lazy to come up with my own explanation this time, so I grabbed a quote from Wikipedia:
 
Quote:

"A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements  to passing pedestrians and drivers. Typically showing large, ostensibly witty slogans, and distinctive visuals, billboards are highly visible in the top designated market areas.... Located primarily on major highways, expressways or principal arterials, they command high-density consumer exposure (mostly to vehicular traffic)."

 
maverickronin and adktitan (and also a few others) are using sound logic. They aren't reaching for the phrase, "Think of the children!" And for that, I am glad.

 

[Sumflow]

Thanks,

  I know what you mean.  You mean that they take your eyes off of the road.  We have plenty of that.  These girls wear hardly anything all year around. 
Quote:

  Sorry, I was too lazy to come up with my own explanation 

​

 

Forget driving by a beach or a mall.  I don’t see anyone complaining about that.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

maverickronin and adktitan (and also a few others) are using sound logic. They aren't reaching for the phrase, "Think of the children!" And for that, I am glad.

Aristotle would be proud.