Cycling with earphones made illegal in California

Cycling with earphones is just dumb. Cars may be sound insulated but they do have mirrors and crumple zones. Few bicycles are as well equipped and personally, whilst I like to think I am aware of the other vehicles around me, I don't cycle along with my head rotating like a lighthouse so a lot of the warning of vehicles approaching from behind is audible. On country roads a courtesy beep before overtaking is quite common, at least on the routes I cycle.

As for evidence, well I think we all know how annoying joggers and walkers wearing headphones can be when they are clearly oblivious of what is going on around them.

God bless the U S of A for their take liberty and fredom, the UK isn't far behind so God bless you (in a compulsary Hi Viz) too. Makes me want to ride with headphones 

Apparently the hearing impaired are no longer allowed to leave their house as well.

Sounds like a stupid law to me. I wonder if they're extending it to ban deaf people from cycling/driving as well? There's no evidence that I know of (not that I've looked) that shows that deaf people are more dangerous on the roads, so I don't see the problem with wearing headphones as long as you make sure to look around often enough.

I used to wear headphones on some short bike journeys but in the end I'd prefer to have the extra info from my ears about the surroundings.

American culture is different to ours. They will gladly ban earphones while cycling but not guns. 

Anyway cycling with earphones surely does increase the vulnerability any cyclist who uses them while riding a bike. So I can understand why the Californian government decided to do this, after all they are the land of the 55 mph speed limit etc. 

Again though the USA is a different country, they for a start don't have the wonderful NHS to put you back together again if you get knocked off. They also may well have different laws of the road to us.

Imagine if you would, you're cycling down the road somewhere in Califonia on a quiet road minding your own business listening to your favourite tunes. A police officer asks you to stop but you don't hear him and carry on riding. Maybe the courts thought it was important in their state that a cyclist can hear orders that are shouted to them in the case of an emergency that either risked their lives or others. 

Are you wondering where my diatribe is going ?

All I am saying is that it is a different country, and although I may feel it is unwise to wear earphones when cycling, I have to say I have done it in the past myselff. Do I think it's a good idea, no. Would I recommend to fellow cyclists that they shouldn't wear earphones when riding, yes. Would I make a law against it, absolutely NOT! 

With regards to my main point though, the USA is not the UK, this following link will show that in the most graphic of way and I urge you not to watch it if you don't want to be upset. It might though make some understand and think about how one decisions can affect other decisions. Yes a bit like me posting this. 

warning graphic content

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfF7NGHsdXU

My car doesn't have a music system or a facebook-reading-internet thingy, so I'll be OK... 

I don't wear headphones while riding, but I don;'t care if anyone else does as long as they are still paying attention to what's going on around them.

As others have said, if you say that headphones stop you hearing and are therefore dangerous, then you have to ban anyone who is hearing-impaired and you have to legislate for car entertainment systems.  And I cannot see either of those happening any time soon...

An assumption that all "earpieces" decrease someone's ability to hear, when they don't necessarily. They could have an audio passthrough like the upcoming braagi dash, or be bone conduction like.. those headphones i saw reviewed on here but can't remember the name of. 

So whilst indeed they will consume some attention if used they don't have to block sound?

The solution I suppose is do what care drivers do and strap a stereo to your handlebars. 

Quote:

My car has double glazing - its quietness is one of the reasons I bought it. Will it be banned?

Only if you don't use the rear view mirrors.

I wouldn't be bothered if this crossed the water, I've seen too many joggers not acknowledge my bell ringing or shouts and all with ear pieces. You want to wear earpieces, fine go ahead, just make sure that you look behind and are aware of what's happening around you as I'm sure a few are... the majority, in my experience don't.

Seems a little bit silly really, after all we know people with hearing difficulties can cycle perfectly well. Are they to be banned from cycling then?

So when is it going to be illigal to drive a car with a sound system over 200watts? When is it going to be illigal to have more than 4 speakers in your car? When is it going to be illigal to have a db level of 90+ from your speakers in your car? 

This is the exact same reasoning that you do not allow cyclists to have headphones because they can not hear. Yet you seem to think it is ok for a person in a car with sound deadning matts, 800w 7 +speaker system, GPS Tounch screen navigation, Tounch screen radio, link to text/chat, allowed to eat and drink behind the wheel like they are at a dinner table? Really? This is your logic? how about you apply rules and enforce them to drivers? I mean it's not like drivers ever speed, do rolling stops, stop in cross walks, run redlights, not use turn signals. all while listening to a radio that makes it impossible to hear what is going on around you all while they are eating, drinking and smoking their cigs. Yep it must be the cyclists with the head phone in their ear. How dumb. 

Here in Spain it is already illegal. I got caught once and had to pay €120.

I agree with the law though, it is just a shame that it will only be enforced for cyclists.

Nobody is going after cars or motorcycles where the driver is using headphones, mobile, ipad or fullsized newspaper.

since studies have show that a driver with the windows closed can hear less than someone using earphones, i trust the law also obliges drivers to have windows open at all times, and further bans in car stereos.

Funny how america are trying to save lives on the road but congress couldn't give a toss about gun control.  bonkers.

I wouldn't be upset if it happened here for all road users, but very difficult to enforce.  they can't stop people using phones whilst driving so how are you going to enforce something like this, especially when we seem hell bent on cutting our overstreched police force even further.

I got excited when I read it applied "to drivers, outlaws...."