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Some states ban wearing headphones behind wheelMay 24, 2010 (Aiken Standard - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in crashes nationwide that involved distracted driving, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. "It's a proven statistic that driver inattention is the leading cause of collisions each year," said Lt. Tim Pearson of North Augusta Public Safety. "That can be anything from texting and listening to headphones to just thinking about what are you going to have for dinner tonight." Over the past couple of years, lawmakers across the country have been banning texting and overall cell phone usage while driving. South Carolina is continuing with that debate. But a handful of states have taken legislation a bit further and banned drivers from wearing headphones behind the wheel. In South Carolina, wearing headphones or earbuds won't get you a ticket, but a number of public safety officials said tuning in to music and tuning out of everything else can be a significant problem. In the states where headphones are banned, the law makes the distinction between using headphones on or in both ears and using just one earbud. Using two is illegal, but one earphone is acceptable in those states. Opponents of further restrictions said using one of the two earbuds is the same as using a hands-free cell phone device, which is often encouraged by public safety officials. Many said there is no difference between blaring the radio and popping in earbuds. But a growing number of lawmakers nationwide disagree and said that earbuds block out all other sounds and might cause a motorist to tune out an emergency vehicle, and that can get you a ticket, said Aiken Public Safety Sgt. Aaron Dowdy. A motorist who fails to yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle could be ticketed. "If you don't get out of the way because you can't hear the siren, that's not going to work as an excuse," Dowdy said. Local officers have seen an increase in the number of drivers traveling with headphones, because motorists still have vehicles with tape and CD players built in and would rather listen to their mp3 downloads. Banning headphones, in many states, extends to bicyclist and motorcycle riders. If a driver is going to use headphones, he or she can't use both of them. South Carolina law enforcement officials have begun to see a number of crashes that stem from cell phone usage, and the state has added a code to traffic tickets that officers can mark to show if cell phone usage contributed to the crash. There is no such code for earbuds. Pearson is encouraging motorists to pull the earbuds out, turn down the radios and pay attention. Contact Karen Daily at [email protected]. To see more of the Aiken Standard or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.aikenstandard.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Aiken Standard, S.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |