Headphones

[breadstick]

is it illegal to use them when driving?

[Old_Geezer]

I would guess yes. One gets away with listening to the radio or a passenger, but covering your ears suggests not paying sufficient attention to everything around you.

[hc4361]

There is no specific law against it but it could come under 'driving without due care and attention'.

[andy-hughes]

It if isn't, it should be!

[B00]

Worryingly no, it isn't!

[Dizmo]

If you cause an RTI and you're blasting the radio then you'll find that you won't get away with it. However it does depend on the officer, how polite and concerned you are, whether it's a traffic vehicle (due to equipment on board) and the severity of the incident.

[hc4361]

Along a similar line I think deaf drivers should have a sticker in the back window as a safety measure.

[Buenchico]

There are very few laws which say exactly what you can or can't do while driving a motor vehicle. For example, there's no law that specifically states that you can't drive down the right-hand side of the road in a two-way street. If the police see you doing it they'll have to decide whether your actions contravene more general laws, such as those concerning driving without due care and attention or dangerous driving. (So the milkman who drives his float along the right-hand side of an otherwise deserted road, while delivering milk at 5am, almost certainly isn't breaking any laws).

Before the specific law prohibiting driving while using a hand-held mobile phone came into effect you could still be prosecuted if the police (and CPS) considered that you were therefore driving without due care and attention. Up until that time it would have been left up to a court to decide whether your use of a mobile phone was, or was not, illegal.

A similar situation now exists with regard to the wearing of headphones while driving. The police (and CPS) might well argue that an alert and responsible driver should be using his ears, as as well as his eyes, in order to drive to an acceptable standard. (i.e. he should be alert to the sounding of horns, the screeching of brakes or a parent shouting at a child who is about to run into the road). If so, they could commence a prosecution for driving without due care and attention but it would be left to a court to decide whether it was safe to convict under such circumstances.

[melv16]

Should be illegal for cyclists as well

[Dizmo]

Chris: Basically; you can't fart without getting prosecuted.

[Old_Geezer]

The irony is that over the engine noise and particularly the tyre noise on the road surface, you probably can't hear much anyway. So earphones or normal radio, it's probably an excuse as the cause of any incident.

[ivor4781]

i nearly bowled over a young lad delivering papers a while ago at 7.30 am he rode his bike straight off the pavement in front of me .headphones on and using his mobile at the same time with one hand,never looked to see if road was clear !!

[Dizmo]

ivor4781: It's called hand(s) free... from the handle bars.

[pixie373]

I assume you can use for one ear at least. Taxi drivers do. Not sure there's any difference listening to music or conversation.