If you rent cars in other states or countries frequently or plan a big summer road trip, bone up on laws regarding the use of headphones or earbuds while driving– or you could be hit with a big fine.
Just last week France banned the the use of headsets while driving.
And did you know that drivers are forbidden from wearing headphones in Colorado, Maryland, Louisiana and Rhode Island?
But it’s more complicated in other states. In California, Florida or New York, you can only wear headphones or ear buds in one ear, not both. In Illinois, only Bluetooth headseats are allowed. Fines for breaking these laws can range from $150 to $250.
Since rules seem to be all over the map, here’s an infographic from LifeHacker that spells it out:
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Hajime Sano says
July 1, 2015 at 12:36 amI fly to Massachusetts several times per year to see my parents and siblings, so I was surprised to see that headphones were not allowed while driving. I know a couple of Mass. towns disallow any cell phone use while driving, even with hands free technology.
The distinction for Mass., I believe, is that headphones (the type traditionally associated with listening to media) with both ear pieces in use are not allowed while driving. Single ear piece use is OK while driving. Telephone headsets, which are usually single ear piece plus microphone, are allowed while driving.
Here is a 2012 article that outlines this: http://patch.com/massachusetts/braintree/state-police-spread-awareness-on-use-of-headphones-wh15d574ea13
I think the gist of your article applies to headphones (two ear piece listening devices). The article title refers to headsets, which I normally associate with single ear piece listening device with a microphone for use with a telephone.
It is a subtle but important distinction. I personally can’t see wearing two ear pieces while driving- it would block too much surrounding sound making for a potentially dangerous driving situation.
Ironically, New Hampshire, which is only 10 miles/10 minutes from my parents’ house, has no restrictions on headphone use while driving.
Chris McGinnis says
June 30, 2015 at 4:31 pmHey there… no distinction as far as I know — chris
Hajime Sano says
June 29, 2015 at 11:53 pmChris, in this article, is there a distinction between using headsets for listening to media vs. a telephone call?
BlueLion says
June 29, 2015 at 1:49 pmIt’s dangerous to wear headphones/earbuds while driving. Very difficult to hear horns and sirens while you’re listening to your favorite rap, heavy metal music at full blast.