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The laws and regulations on using headphones while driving vary throughout the country. While in some states it’s perfectly legal to drive with headphones, some completely prohibit them, and others only allow the use of a single-ear audio system to make hands-free phone calls. Read this guide to find out more about the headphone laws relevant to your state.
Is Driving with Headphones Legal?
Whether you are allowed to wear headphones while driving depends on the state where you live. Some states completely ban driving with headphones, whereas others allow it. You should always check your state’s laws before you get behind the wheel with your headphones on.
You should keep in mind that even if you can legally use headphones while driving, it doesn’t mean that this practice is safe. Negligence laws still apply and you could be held responsible for a distracted driving accident.
States Where Driving with Headphones Is Legal
The following states allow driving while wearing headphones:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Although driving with headphones is not illegal in most states, you can still get a citation for negligent or reckless driving. If you cause a car accident due to wearing headphones or earbuds, you’ll be financially liable and have to pay for the victim’s medical bills, property damage, and any other losses through your auto insurance coverage. If you cause serious bodily injury or death, you could also face criminal charges.
States Where Driving with Headphones Is Illegal
In the following states, driving with headphones is considered illegal:
- Alaska
- California
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Washington
Legal consequences for wearing headphones while driving vary and may include fines and/or points on your driving record.
However, there are some exceptions. All the states listed above allow wearing hearing aid devices while driving. In addition, all types of headphones or headsets are permitted for emergency personnel such as firefighters, police officers, and ambulance drivers.
States with Exceptions
There are several states in which driving while using headphones is against the law, with some exceptions.
- In Arizona, using headphones while driving is legal, except for child care providers and school bus drivers.
- In the states of Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New York, and Pennsylvania, driving with headphones is permitted only when taking a call in one ear.
- In Massachusetts, the use of headphones is legal exclusively for navigational purposes such as using a GPS.
Is It Dangerous to Drive with Headphones?
There are many reasons why you may want to wear headphones or earbuds while driving, like listening to music, making phone calls, or canceling out noise. However, even if you aren’t necessarily breaking any traffic laws, obstructing your hearing by earbuds, headphones, or headsets is not a good idea.
Headphones and distracted driving
As a driver, you should be fully aware of everything going on around you while you’re on the road. Wearing headphones while driving may take your attention away from the road and potentially lead to distracted driving, increasing the risk of an accident. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nine people die every day in the United States due to distracted driving.
Driving with headphones can result in both visual, manual, and cognitive distractions, as you need to take your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel to answer a call or change the song on your phone. The American Automobile Association (AAA) considers distraction caused by the use of headphones connected to electronic devices “inattentional blindness.”
The dangers of driving with headphones
You don’t need to have hearing to be able to drive, but limiting your hearing when you’re not used to functioning without it, can be dangerous on the road.
Being able to hear sounds inside and outside your car is crucial for safe driving. Driving with headphones can prevent you from:
- Hearing the sirens of an emergency vehicle approaching
- Hearing a car crash happening near you
- Hearing passengers in your vehicle alerting you to danger
- Hearing warning sounds of mechanical issues within your vehicle
- Hearing the approaching of a train while crossing tracks
- Hearing the warning horns of other vehicles. If a car honks at you, that probably means that you’ve already failed to see it.
- Staying fully concentrated on the road because your attention is at least partly dedicated to what you’re listening to.
How to responsibly use headphones when driving
If you wish to use headphones while operating a vehicle (provided that it is legal in your state), there are some steps you can take to ensure your safety and that of others on the road:
- Use your earpiece only in one ear. Make sure to place the earbud in your right ear, that is furthest away from the driver-side window. This will allow you to listen to music and conversations while at the same time keeping one ear out for other sounds.
- While listening to music, an audiobook, or a podcast, ensure that the volume is turned low enough that you can still hear other sounds. You should find a comfortable setting between the volume of your headset and the noises from the road.
- When you are driving with headphones, you still need to be attentive to the road. Take a quick glance at each of the mirrors in your car so that you’re fully aware of what is going on around you.
- Make sure that the device your headphones are connected to is set up and functioning before you start driving.
- Roll down your window to be able to hear what is going on outside of your vehicle.
All these measures will give you a better chance of staying alert and ensure that as a motorist you’re doing everything you can to keep the roads safe.
