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news
Cyclist with earbuds - copyright Simon MacMichaelDutch study: Using headphones "Negatively affects perception of sounds crucial for safe cycling"
A study conducted in the Netherlands has concluded that cyclists who listen to music through headphones or talk on their mobile phones while riding their bikes may be putting themselves at risk.
Published in the Journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention, the study did, however, observe that when it came to teenage cyclists, there was no such correlation.
Its authors suggested that cyclists listening to music or talking on their phone in a country with less cycling infrastructure than the Netherlands might be more at risk.
The research, conducted via an internet survey of 2,249 cyclists split into three age groups –16–18 years, 30–40 and 65–70 – aimed to analyse:
1 – the auditory perception of traffic sounds, including the sounds of quiet (electric) cars
2 – the possible compensatory behaviours of cyclists who listen to music or talk on their mobile phones, and
3 – the possible contribution of listening to music and talking on the phone to cycling crashes and incidents.
It concluded: “Results show that listening to music and talking on the phone negatively affects perception of sounds crucial for safe cycling.
“However, taking into account the influence of confounding variables, no relationship was found between the frequency of listening to music or talking on the phone and the frequency of incidents among teenage cyclists.
“This may be due to cyclists’ compensating for the use of portable devices.”
The authors added: “Listening to music or talking on the phone whilst cycling may still pose a risk in the absence of compensatory behaviour or in a traffic environment with less extensive and less safe cycling infrastructure than the Dutch setting.
“With the increasing number of quiet (electric) cars on the road, cyclists in the future may also need to compensate for the limited auditory input of these cars.”
The issue of cyclists wearing headphones is sometimes addressed at coroner’s inquests where the deceased was killed while riding a bike.
In an inquest held in December 2016 following the death of Emily Norton in Howden, East Yorkshire, the coroner said: "I cannot determine if she was on her iPhone listening with earphone at the time, but if she had been, it could have caused a distraction and could have contributed to the cause of the accident."
In response to that case, both the road safety charity RoSPA and campaign organisation Cycling UK said that they discourage cyclists from wearing headphones.
Kevin Clinton of RoSPA said: “Hearing is an important sense when cycling as it gives riders warning about the approach of nearby vehicles and an idea of their speed. We advise cyclists not to wear headphones when riding.”
Cycling UK’s Duncan Dollimore said: “Our view is that wearing headphones is inadvisable, particularly if listening at high volumes or with headphones that completely shut out sound, but the idea that headphone wearing cyclists are any more of a problem than headphone wearing pedestrians is not borne out by any evidence we have seen.”
> Video: Cyclist collides with headphone-wearing runner
Occasionally, the prospect of a ban on cyclists wearing headphones is floated, for example by Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London, reacting to the deaths of several cyclists in the capital in late 2013.
> Government 'will not legislate' for Mayor of London's cyclist headphone ban
Many cyclists who choose not to wear headphones take the view that as vulnerable road users, they should avoid doing anything that might impair their awareness of the environment surrounding them.
But others maintain that they feel quite safe riding with them, and that a ban using headphones while riding would be akin to telling deaf people that they aren’t allowed to cycle.
Meanwhile, no-one talks about banning motorists from listening to music - something that can have fatal consequences for others.
> "Blaring music" meant driver didn't know he'd hit cyclist, court told
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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69 comments
Given the increase in hybrid cars, I always look anyhow - you can't rely on sound alone. I always assume there is someone behind me about to run me down.
Might be. Basically i was trying to say that we should not bring "deaf people" here. In fact we all know that listening to music while cycling does affect our ability to pay attention to riding conditions. Only question is how bad is that and should headphones be banned because of it.
I disagree.
I see cycling as an enabling technology
Anyone who attempts to disuade people from cycling (e.g. schools making rules about how the kids cycle to school) is trying to exert control. We must push back against these bullies and insist that EVERYONE should be allowed to use a bicycle if they see fit. There's plenty of people that find cycling easier than walking due to various "disabilities" and why should we get people to jump through hoops and prove their "need" to cycle?
You are trying to remove a whole sub-section of society from the discussion of cycling due to "safety" concerns when there is a substantial lack of evidence to support that.
I'm neither deaf, nor (physically) disabled, nor a woman, but I will support anyone's right to cycle as should you.
Believe me i'm totally on your side here. I do support anyone's right to cycle. I do my best to motivate my friends. Also i can't imagine cycling without music. However i do understand that headphones indeed affect safety. At least i try to keep volume down or sometimes take those off completely on busy streets or on sections where there are lots of pedestrians nearby especially kids. I think it's a huge topic and it deserves an unbiased discussion.
I don't think it is that huge a topic.
I've cycled a few times whilst wearing headphones and made sure that I used my eyes more as I usually rely on my ears for figuring out if I can cross a road or need to stop for a car coming round a corner etc. In the end, I decided that I preferred cycling without headphones, but that's just my choice.
If we are to have an ubiased discussion on road safety, then I would bet money that headphones are way down the list (probably below dogs on extenda-leads).
And the answer is no.
Who's the more stupid? Someone who rides around with earphones in, or the group of people who felt they needed to do 'research' to tell them that it's unsafe?
You. You're the most stupid.
that's a very cruel thing to say. But funny, so it's ok.
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