Wearing earbuds while driving/riding is...illegal. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Wearing earbuds while driving/riding is...illegal.

PrivatePilot

PrivatePilot

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Saw this news tidbit a few days ago.

the-rcmp-reminds-canadians-that-you-can-be-fined-for-wearing-earphones-while-driving


Having both earbuds in while driving is a hazard as it removes the driver's awareness of background noise, which is important to pay attention to while on the road.
Click to expand...

Apparently only using one earbud is OK.

Unclear if this is just a BC thing (where the story originates from), or if Ontario is the same - the coverage I've seen is a little ambiguous in that regard, but I'm left wondering since the RCMP is Federal vs provincial...so is this a federal law, or were they just enforcing provincial law.

I know lots of riders who wear two earbuds not only for the purpose of listening to music while riding, but also due to the fact that many designs work great to block wind noise as well vs wearing earplugs. This was dealt with in an OH case where a rider was ticketed, actually and there's other stories on the US side about the legality of earbuds/earplugs..but not much to reference on this side of the border aside from this one story out of BC.

I wonder what the law has to say about earplugs. I always wear them while riding because it's been proven that wind noise on a motorcycle is of such volume that it can cause long term hearing loss..and I also wear them occasionally at work when I'm driving a particularly noisy power unit..again, to protect my long term hearing. I have an older brother who is deaf as a brick from years of working at GM without proper hearing protection..and I don't want to end up the same way.
 
Earplugs do very little to "remove the driver's awareness of background noise", they just lower the level of all noises equally (roughly). Now if you inject music on the quiet side (like IEM's) that is an entirely different story.
 
Various laws by state south of the border. Hard to tell if you're wearing a lid.

When I checked I was told in some cases one is OK and even two won't get you pulled over on its own.
 
Plugs in both ears is fine. They reduce noise. Earbuds in both ears is illegal as they prevent you from hearing outside sounds.
 
I wear earbuds in both ears and listen to music while riding. I can still hear background noise as well as traffic around me.

I'm not sure if there is any requirement to be able to hear in order to obtain a driver's licence in Ontario, so wearing earbuds is no worse than a driver who has a physical hearing impairment.
 
I second that; they don't even test your hearing when you take a drivers test, only your vision. Lots of deaf people and those suffering from severe tinnitus still drive vehicles, lots of people have their radio cranked so loud they can be considered deaf to anything outside their vehicle. Deaf people learn to rely on their other senses to compensate for a hearing deficit, their attention to driving is acute, imho people who require constant musical entertainment pumped into their head while driving are not really into the riding experience their mind is somewhere else.
 
Malks said:
I'm not sure if there is any requirement to be able to hear in order to obtain a driver's licence in Ontario, so wearing earbuds is no worse than a driver who has a physical hearing impairment.
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I was waiting for someone to bring this up.

Only class B, C, E and F licences (School Bus, Coach, Small School Bus, and small non-school passenger coaches/bus) require hearing acuity. All other classes of licence require none whatsoever, so yes, a deaf person can drive.

If this is the next "charge of opportunity" that the police are going to start laying I suspect it won't last long in court when this reality is introduced to the judge.
 
Does your riding style change depending on the music in your head?
:I think Brahms would make me ride more slowly and Rammstein would have me infracting more then a few traffic laws.


I should put on some ear buds and take the trials bike out for a boot, see if I crash more when listening to loud music or not :D If I survive I'll get back to you on how well that works out.
 
It is a BC traffic law, that was being enforced. The RCMP, in many provinces, that don't have their own provincial force, merely contract the RCMP to do policing.

Some smaller cities, (Moncton, being the first to come to mind), have actually disbanded their municipal force, and contracted the RCMP for policing. Initially, it was for cost savings. But the benefits were, (later), transferred from the Feds to the municipality. The City Council was lambasted, when the RCMP costs quickly outstripped, the costs of the municipal force. But it was then deemed to expensive to go back and buy all new cruisers and recruit and train a new force.

PrivatePilot said:
Saw this news tidbit a few days ago.

the-rcmp-reminds-canadians-that-you-can-be-fined-for-wearing-earphones-while-driving




Apparently only using one earbud is OK.

Unclear if this is just a BC thing (where the story originates from), or if Ontario is the same - the coverage I've seen is a little ambiguous in that regard, but I'm left wondering since the RCMP is Federal vs provincial...so is this a federal law, or were they just enforcing provincial law.

I know lots of riders who wear two earbuds not only for the purpose of listening to music while riding, but also due to the fact that many designs work great to block wind noise as well vs wearing earplugs. This was dealt with in an OH case where a rider was ticketed, actually and there's other stories on the US side about the legality of earbuds/earplugs..but not much to reference on this side of the border aside from this one story out of BC.

I wonder what the law has to say about earplugs. I always wear them while riding because it's been proven that wind noise on a motorcycle is of such volume that it can cause long term hearing loss..and I also wear them occasionally at work when I'm driving a particularly noisy power unit..again, to protect my long term hearing. I have an older brother who is deaf as a brick from years of working at GM without proper hearing protection..and I don't want to end up the same way.
Click to expand...
 
Trials said:
Does your riding style change depending on the music in your head?
Rammstein would have me infracting more then a few traffic laws.
Click to expand...


Rammstein would have me looking for a way to do a wheelie whilst bursting into flames as I go airborne spread- eagle into a ditch... 'Emerging from said ditch wearing ***-less overalls, covered in grease with my *** hanging out
 
Hack said:
Rammstein would have me looking for a way to do a wheelie whilst bursting into flames as I go airborne spread- eagle into a ditch... 'Emerging from said ditch wearing ***-less overalls, covered in grease with my *** hanging out
Click to expand...
You freaky germans.
 
PrivatePilot said:
I was waiting for someone to bring this up.

Only class B, C, E and F licences (School Bus, Coach, Small School Bus, and small non-school passenger coaches/bus) require hearing acuity. All other classes of licence require none whatsoever, so yes, a deaf person can drive.

If this is the next "charge of opportunity" that the police are going to start laying I suspect it won't last long in court when this reality is introduced to the judge.
Click to expand...
I have a C class license as well as M. But I believe when I'm on a motorbike I don't need to follow my C class regulations. Earplugs ok in that case?
 
Hack said:
Rammstein would have me looking for a way to do a wheelie whilst bursting into flames as I go airborne spread- eagle into a ditch... 'Emerging from said ditch wearing ***-less overalls, covered in grease with my *** hanging out
Click to expand...
as long as you don't put a foot down,
Is perfect mindset for doing 3rd gear burnouts at 4 foot vertical rock faces :D
 
Katatonic said:
I have a C class license as well as M. But I believe when I'm on a motorbike I don't need to follow my C class regulations. Earplugs ok in that case?
Click to expand...

You follow the rules of the class of licence for the class of vehicle you are driving.

For example, in a Class A vehicle it's illegal for one to shift gears while crossing a railway track...but I'm not forced to adhere to that when operating my car, or motorcycles. Edit: Well, it was illegal when I got my class A...looks like it's just "not recommended" anymore now, but I could find plenty of other examples...you all get the point I'm sure.
 
Riceburner said:
Plugs in both ears is fine. They reduce noise. Earbuds in both ears is illegal as they prevent you from hearing outside sounds.
Click to expand...

You’ll have to provide a link to that law. I couldn’t find one. I think it’s legal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
See post 10. I thought it was illegal here, but seems not. Either way I don't do it as it takes away one of my senses when riding....and we all know how much we need all our senses when riding.

Same with helmet, tried it in a state that didn't need it, couldn't stand it, plus the wind blast made my eyes water and I couldn't see.
 
If its true its illegal to wear earbuds while riding then I will be a criminal because I won't stop doing it. I cannot ride my bike all day without heavy metal blasting in my ears. Its part of riding.
 
Pegassus said:
If its true its illegal to wear earbuds while riding then I will be a criminal because I won't stop doing it. I cannot ride my bike all day without heavy metal blasting in my ears. Its part of riding.
Click to expand...

Or... A comm device that plays music?

When I started riding, I wore earbuds all the time for music and later realized that it really does take away the sense of hearing surrounding traffic.

I currently ride with a comm device w/ music along with ear plugs and can hear much more road/surrounding traffic noise - probably because the music is playing in the helmet and isn't blasting into my ear drums...?
 
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