California Vehicle Code section 27400 states that '(operators of) motor vehicles or bicycles may not wear a headset covering, or earplugs in, both ears.' As with many sections of the vehicle code, this restriction is rarely enforced.
I've been noticing an ever increasing number of my fellow travellers with those ubiquitous white headsets plugged into their ears while they drive or bike around the Ross Valley and I wonder about the effect it has on the safety of our transit. It's to the point now where jackets have special pockets for your MP3 player and slits cut in the fabric to allow headphone routing. When an activity becomes acceptable within a community it's awfully hard to stop even with laws and enforcement.
Traffic is a kind of dance and, as with other dances, it's performed best when the dancers are paying attention to what everyone else on the dance floor is doing. It doesn't seem like we're doing a particularly good job of paying attention. What I'd like to know is am I just behind the times, just not adapting well to the new reality or is this a practice that can be reversed?
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What do you think - are headphones safe to use while operating a vehicle? Do you drive/bike/run/walk with headphones on or near public streets? If you do, do you feel safe while doing it?
