4 ms·

>If you have a long commute, car/bike/train/etc. they're basically perfect audio companions. On bikes, at least where I live, using headphones is illegal. I'd

>If you have a long commute, car/bike/train/etc. they're basically perfect audio companions. On bikes, at least where I live, using headphones is illegal. I'd love to listen to music or podcasts on my bike but I just can't do it with only one ear covered. It's probably not advisable anyways. Interestingly, it is legal to ride a bike or even drive a car while deaf. It would be illegal for a deaf person to cover both ears while driving or biking if I'm reading the statutes correctly.

ShaneOG 11y ago
Totally off-topic, but where do you live?
- Zach_the_Lizard 11y ago
  Arlington, Virginia. VA. code § 46.2-1078 is the relevant statute. https://vacode.org/46.2-1078/ https://vacode.org/46.2-1078/ I work in DC, so DC and / or Federal law would also be relevant. I believe the distracted driving statutes in DC would also apply to bikes, so headphones would fall under that I believe. DC, VA, and MD also have contributory negligence. You can read more about that here: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/24312/what-is-contributory-negligence-and-why-is-it-such-a-big-danger-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians/ http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/24312/what-is-contr... TL;DR you can receive no damages if you break the law in any tiny way while on a bicycle or on foot. Wearing headphones might be said to have contributed in some way, so you might get nothing.
  - flatline 11y ago
    One of my coworkers who bikes through the district will sometimes follow behind a guy who plays NPR on a regular radio - loud enough for my coworker to listen for a while on his commute, too.
massysett 11y ago
I admire your desire to adhere to the law, but in the DC area I never see traffic enforcement applied to cyclists and I rarely see it applied to cars, so I doubt an officer is going to nail you for having some earbuds.
- Zach_the_Lizard 11y ago
  > I admire your desire to adhere to the law, but in the DC area I never see traffic enforcement applied to cyclists and I rarely see it applied to cars, so I doubt an officer is going to nail you for having some earbuds. In DC cops occasionally like to sit in the 15th Street Cycletrack and write tickets for running red lights. I'm sure if they found any violation of the law, they would also throw in another ticket. For those not aware, 15th St. abuts the White House and, because of the many roads that are permanently blocked off, it is not possible for there to be car / bike conflicts for a stretch of this street from New York Avenue to the Ellipse where the bike lanes end (though bike / pedestrian conflicts can happen), except with emergency vehicles and the like. The markings on the road make it unclear whether or not bikes must stop at red lights or just when pedestrians are present. Because of this, the vast majority of cyclists on this stretch of road ignore red lights and treat them as yields since it is perfectly safe to do so. You will almost never see any bike stopped unless there are pedestrians crossing the street or the bike is turning. As for why you rarely see traffic enforcement, at least in DC there is no traffic enforcement division. Virginia has traffic enforcement (don't go over 80 MPH in Virginia on any road; it is automatically reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor. This applies even if the speed limit were 79 MPH). Even without traffic enforcement of any kind, contributory negligence makes wearing headphones risky from a liability standpoint. Any minor law violation or safety hazard by a bicyclist can be used as a defense by a driver in court and end up with no damages awarded. The saner comparative negligence standard does not apply in DC, MD, or VA.
  - cheapsteak 11y ago
    Out of curiosity, are you just really observant or does your work involve traffic laws?

ShaneOG 11y ago

Totally off-topic, but where do you live?

Zach_the_Lizard 11y ago
Arlington, Virginia. VA. code § 46.2-1078 is the relevant statute. https://vacode.org/46.2-1078/ https://vacode.org/46.2-1078/ I work in DC, so DC and / or Federal law would also be relevant. I believe the distracted driving statutes in DC would also apply to bikes, so headphones would fall under that I believe. DC, VA, and MD also have contributory negligence. You can read more about that here: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/24312/what-is-contributory-negligence-and-why-is-it-such-a-big-danger-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians/ http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/24312/what-is-contr... TL;DR you can receive no damages if you break the law in any tiny way while on a bicycle or on foot. Wearing headphones might be said to have contributed in some way, so you might get nothing.
- flatline 11y ago
  One of my coworkers who bikes through the district will sometimes follow behind a guy who plays NPR on a regular radio - loud enough for my coworker to listen for a while on his commute, too.

massysett 11y ago

I admire your desire to adhere to the law, but in the DC area I never see traffic enforcement applied to cyclists and I rarely see it applied to cars, so I doubt an officer is going to nail you for having some earbuds.

Zach_the_Lizard 11y ago
> I admire your desire to adhere to the law, but in the DC area I never see traffic enforcement applied to cyclists and I rarely see it applied to cars, so I doubt an officer is going to nail you for having some earbuds. In DC cops occasionally like to sit in the 15th Street Cycletrack and write tickets for running red lights. I'm sure if they found any violation of the law, they would also throw in another ticket. For those not aware, 15th St. abuts the White House and, because of the many roads that are permanently blocked off, it is not possible for there to be car / bike conflicts for a stretch of this street from New York Avenue to the Ellipse where the bike lanes end (though bike / pedestrian conflicts can happen), except with emergency vehicles and the like. The markings on the road make it unclear whether or not bikes must stop at red lights or just when pedestrians are present. Because of this, the vast majority of cyclists on this stretch of road ignore red lights and treat them as yields since it is perfectly safe to do so. You will almost never see any bike stopped unless there are pedestrians crossing the street or the bike is turning. As for why you rarely see traffic enforcement, at least in DC there is no traffic enforcement division. Virginia has traffic enforcement (don't go over 80 MPH in Virginia on any road; it is automatically reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor. This applies even if the speed limit were 79 MPH). Even without traffic enforcement of any kind, contributory negligence makes wearing headphones risky from a liability standpoint. Any minor law violation or safety hazard by a bicyclist can be used as a defense by a driver in court and end up with no damages awarded. The saner comparative negligence standard does not apply in DC, MD, or VA.
- cheapsteak 11y ago
  Out of curiosity, are you just really observant or does your work involve traffic laws?