I'm seeing more and more drivers - predominantly young girls in Kas or kids in their Mum's Polos - driving around with earbuds in their ears.

They're obviously using their MP3 players but surely this cuts out almost all external noise meaning they're less aware of their surroundings?

Would doing this constitute driving without due car and attention? Anyone want to defend the practice?

 

Or could be the non-bluetooth hands free kits.

Same as having the radio on loud. Should that be banned?

Are deaf people not allowed to drive?




I drove all the way to Nur wearing a pair of these :

 

Not specifically illegal, but clearly if they have accident because they are not paying attention then they could get done.

Plenty bikers wear earplugs and/or earphones and I won't hear much external stuff. I certainly don't.

 

I think Mr Bibbs is correct.

Most likely handsfree stuff for mobile.

 

Could be, but the people I've seen have had two white wires, one from each ear, and they appeared to be singing along to something ...

Even with a conventional car audio system turned up loud, you can still hear noises from outside the car, and of course the car engine itself, whereas I suspect with earbuds in, you can't hear anything other than the music.

 

In my old Civic, I used to wear inner earphones - noise cancelling ones too.

You could forget hearing anything in that car.

Sounded almost identical to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhzyBSQmb_c

 

I plan to wear "earplugs" in the Exige on the way to Spa / Ring.

Noise cancelling headphones might be a touch dangerous.

 

I do in my Larini loud Elise. Did on bikes too.

Wear earplugs all day at work anyway, you can
hear voices still quite well, must work on certain
frequencies.


Russ.

 

So you can't hear the car locked up, sliding towards you. But you can hear the driver screaming ..

 

I used to wear ear defenders sometimes when I drove my TVR S on long trips. The noise of that car could be very tiring. I think the concern in the OP's observations is that people aren't simply reducing the noise of the car, but they are listening to something else and thus less likely to be concentrating on their surroundings. How many pedestrians these days take real notice of what is going on around them as they walk out into the road making phonecalls or listening to their ipods?