Driving along... earbuds in... WHAT ARE YOU DOING!

[jimmy4321]

People who have hearing issues , know and have compensated over time to rely on their sight and are accustomed to not putting themselves in situations where their sight or other senses are impaired.
Earbuds while driving i feel is wrong as its not on that level where you'd naturally compensate.

[my5cents]

People who have hearing issues , know and have compensated over time to rely on their sight and are accustomed to not putting themselves in situations where their sight or other senses are impaired.
Earbuds while driving i feel is wrong as its not on that level where you'd naturally compensate.

? and somehow people who operate motorcycles have developed the same compensation for lack of hearing that the hearing impaired have ?

It just seems a bit off :

- The hearing impaired can operate a vehicle with no hearing at all, but a person with hearing will get a ticket (and an expensive ticket) for having two ear buds (but not one).

- A person operating a motorcycle can operate the vehicle with two ear buds, with immunity.

- We recently, on another thread, discussed that, the law requiring motorcycle helmets is waved for people wearing a cloth wrap on their head, called a turban.

If all of these requirement are so important, shouldn't they be applied uniformly ? Either they are required and necessary or they are not.

Doesn't our government value the safety of our, motorcyclists who wear two ear buds, or our motorcycle riding Indo Canadian Sikhs wearing turbans ?

"People who have hearing issues , know and have compensated over time to rely on their sight and are accustomed to not putting themselves in situations where their sight or other senses are impaired"

What if I just recently lost my hearing ? Is there a waiting period in which I can't operate a vehicle until these special compensating powers kick in ?

[spooker]

What if I just recently lost my hearing ? Is there a waiting period in which I can't operate a vehicle until these special compensating powers kick in ?

I'm going to draw a parallel with people who have vision problems but are still legal to drive ... there was no delay in my getting behind the wheel (except for the recovery time from the rest of my injuries) ... just like a deaf person has to be more aware of their surroundings to compensate for the missing sense, I have to move my head more often to compensate for the missing field of vision ... right after my accident I had to think about it, after 30 years it's now part of my habits ...

Personally, I won't use earbuds as they block out too much other sounds necessary to be aware of my surroundings ... and the number of times I "surprise" someone I pass on a trail since they are wearing earbuds and couldn't hear my announcement just makes me shake my head ...

In a car, people are already so compromised as to not be able to hear through the windows, over the fans, or over the radio that it almost seems like earbuds won't worsen an already bad situation ...

[Fancy]

Like I suggested before, there are earbuds that don't block out external noise.

[alanjh595]

BUT, they still require "operating a MV while distracted by electronic device".

Still have to turn it on, change the playlist, or answer the phone by touching the device.

[my5cents]

BUT, they still require "operating a MV while distracted by electronic device".

Still have to turn it on, change the playlist, or answer the phone by touching the device.

The violation for using two ear pieces falls under "Hands-free use of electronic device"

The violation is using an electronic device with an earpiece in both ears, nothing else. You could be completely legally using the device with the exception of the two ear pieces, thus the violation.

[alanjh595]

BUT, they still require "operating a MV while distracted by electronic device".

Still have to turn it on, change the playlist, or answer the phone by touching the device.

The violation for using two ear pieces falls under "Hands-free use of electronic device"

The violation is using an electronic device with an earpiece in both ears, nothing else. You could be completely legally using the device with the exception of the two ear pieces, thus the violation.

If you are seen touching the device.....you will get the fine. Good luck.

[my5cents]

If you are seen touching the device.....you will get the fine. Good luck.

What I'm saying is the violation for wearing two ear pieces is not conditional on touching the device, it's separate.