What is it with the new craze of driving with huge headphones on...

[Kennysarmy]

Discuss.
Surely can't be safe!

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Living in London I see every day on my way to/from work people cruising between cars on their bikes and e-scooters with headphones on. Not in particular huge one's, but doesn't really matter. People in general are lacking common sense, but that's nothing new.

 

[Robster59]

I would have thought it was illegal as it means they can't hear noise outside the headphones.
I know deaf people drive, as I have relatives who do but they are used to it and drive accordingly.

 

[Orikoru]

Not safe how? Obviously they are chosen for comfort if they don't like the feeling of the 'in-ear' ones. Either way everyone is listening to music, so how is it less safe to have larger headphones?

Edit: Sorry, I've only just spotted the word 'driving' in your title. I can only imagine that they could be using a large Bluetooth headphones as a hands-free kit to take calls on their phone, otherwise you'd just listen to the in-car speakers as normal.

 

[GreiginFife]

It goes on the list of road bound idiocy. It is up there with driving with a hood up, blocking your entire peripheral vision.
Are they expecting a shower in their clapped out Clio with an exhaust worth more than the entire car?

 

[GreiginFife]

Not safe how? Obviously they are chosen for comfort if they don't like the feeling of the 'in-ear' ones. Either way everyone is listening to music, so how is it less safe to have larger headphones?

Driving with any headphones is bonkers.

 

[Orikoru]

Driving with any headphones is bonkers.

I just edited my post, didn't spot the word 'driving' at first.

 

[chrisd]

Not safe how? Obviously they are chosen for comfort if they don't like the feeling of the 'in-ear' ones. Either way everyone is listening to music, so how is it less safe to have larger headphones?

Just a stab in the dark - but if you have earphones on when driving you are less likely to be able to hear what's going on outside of your vehicle and also more concentrated on the sound through the ear phones that it's a tad possible that you might just miss a vital warning that could kill someone

 

[Blue in Munich]

It isn't safe, but let's not impinge on their personal liberties eh.

I would have thought it was illegal as it means they can't hear noise outside the headphones.
I know deaf people drive, as I have relatives who do but they are used to it and drive accordingly.

I don't think there's a specific offence of using them as there is for phones, the nearest I could think of is driving without reasonable consideration for other road users insofar as you couldn't hear horns, two-tones, etc but you'd probably need a test case.

Deaf drivers are a completely different matter; huge difference between being deaf 24/7 and being used to living with it and choosing to deprive yourself of a sense you usually use.

 

[Deleted member 21784]

The only headphones I'd consider using in a car would be my bone conducting ones that allow you to hear around as they sit behind your ear and vibrations let the sound get to your ear drum

However I'd only use them in the car that doesn't have decent bluetooth connection , so would be a very much last resort before I pulled over

 

[Blue in Munich]

Just a stab in the dark - but if you have earphones on when driving you are less likely to be able to hear what's going on outside of your vehicle and also more concentrated on the sound through the ear phones that it's a tad possible that you might just miss a vital warning that could kill someone

Well he's taken more driving tests than most of us Chris so maybe he knows something we don't

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Just a stab in the dark - but if you have earphones on when driving you are less likely to be able to hear what's going on outside of your vehicle and also more concentrated on the sound through the ear phones that it's a tad possible that you might just miss a vital warning that could kill someone

It's ok, many people do it now.......they don't care about anyone else.

 

[GreiginFife]

Just a stab in the dark - but if you have earphones on when driving you are less likely to be able to hear what's going on outside of your vehicle and also more concentrated on the sound through the ear phones that it's a tad possible that you might just miss a vital warning that could kill someone

In fairness, he did add that he hadn't spotted the in car bit.

 

[USER1999]

I have considered wearing my bose noise cancelling head phones whilst driving my Z4. Not to play music, just to cancel out the insanely loud exhaust.

 

[Blue in Munich]

In fairness, he did add that he hadn't spotted the in car bit.

In fairness, the responses may well have been made before he admitted the error.

 

[GreiginFife]

In fairness, the responses may well have been made before he admitted the error.

Nope. 3 minute lag.

Possibly 4.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Nope. 3 minute lag.

Possibly 4.

Yup. If you don't come out to see what the new responses are before posting, and if you keep doing that you'l never post anything.

 

[GreiginFife]

I agree. Within a minute or so... 3 or 4... that's some slow typing.

I jest, I'm just bored at work.

 

[chrisd]

In fairness, he did add that he hadn't spotted the in car bit.

I'd not seen his correction when I wrote mine

 

[GreiginFife]

I'd not seen his correction when I wrote mine

Yes, yes Chris. Rich and I had already figured this out 3 or 4 minutes ago...