Headphones While Driving
 

Is it illegal to wear in-ear or over-the-ear headphones while driving in Vancouver/BC?

I see it all the time on the streets, but would you be charged with reckless driving by the Police?

illegal can't her sirens or horns with them on.

I don't know what you'd be ticketed with though. Maybe undue care. This might be better answered in the police forums though.

I hope they get ticketed as there is no need for that. The car already has a sound system that probably sounds better

legal if it's one earpiece for hands free communication (bluetooth), any other uses (ie: listening to music) is illegal

maybe the car is old and doesn't have aux input?

Not true on the hearing part, I ride my motorcycle with headphones I can hear sirens and horns just fine. I'm not sure on the legality of it, might be illegal but I've been doing it well riding for the past 16 years without an issue. As long as you don't have it cranked hearing everything around you isn't a problem.

It depends on the headphones. In my civic with aftermarket stereo cranked I could not here the police siren.

A little off topic........ okay way off topic, but even at my age, I can hear sirens minutes before others can. It's weird.

However, I can't hear anything else very well. lol


Another off topic......... I was driving through Sumas this afternoon, having a Peanut Butter Blast ice cream from Edaleen Dairy and all of a sudden, this loud screeching sound, blasts away from within the car. I jumped out of my skin to the point I had to go into reverse to gather my wits.

It was an amber alert. I have Wind Mobile with unlimited US feature and I guess down there, T-Mobile has this Amber Alert Feature. Some creep in a blue 1997 Acura 4 door with Virginia license plate abducted a girl in Spokane.

I guess in Canada we have radio stations broadcasting Amber Alerts. Anyway.......... carry on carrying on............

I sometimes drive with a single earbud in to make calls.

IIRC, you are allowed wear single earbud with a mic as a hands-free option. I call bullshit on seeing it all the time. Anyways, youd likely be charged with the use of electronics ticket which is $167 and 3 points. Other tickets if you are N, and reckless driving if you were being reckless as well. Such as not yielding to pedestrians because you were distracted. etc etc

I think your user name needs to be changed to Radar.

I commute daily from Coquitlam to Richmond, close to 30-45min each way. It's 90% of time slow crawling traffic.

Without actively looking, I still see fair number of people texting and/or have in-ear headphones on both ears. I don't see Over-the-ears headphones as often, but they're out there.

I'm guessing those two are linked, everything else being quieter is gonna make it easier to pick out the sirens.

On a kind of related note, siren sounds should be banned over the radio.....

Yes... totally agree.

Are deaf people allowed to drive? How can having headphones in be different than a deaf person driving?

Berz out.

i would imagine a deaf person is more aware of their surrounding and is constantly scanning their mirrors.

I imagine it's a failure to utilize existing capacity.

Manc out.

I doubt anyone is "more aware" when driving. That just comes down to experience.

Berz out.

OP.. you should try it and drive by a police station a few times, then tell us what happen