Council criticised for ‘headphones can prevent you from hearing the traffic’ poster aimed at cyclists

If you need to listen to music to enhance your ride, you're doing it wrong

Hearing is the primary warning sense, which is why I rely more on loud music with vocals rather than bright light to wake me up when asleep.

Ear plugs are fine so long as they don't block out the wrong frequencies, but most probably do; headphones and earphones are just nuts, you need both ears to pinpoint direction and distance, especially at partly obscured T or cross junctions without traffic lights.

I have an Air horn on my bicycle mostly for people who's hearing is naturally or artificially impaired, including inside a car with music playing; I've even had to use it on slower cyclists who seemed to be deaf to a bell when I wanted to overtake.

This very much sounds like another case of people who don't cycle, and who don't like people who do cycle very much either, doing a 'cycle safety' campaign which is targeted more towards motorists to reassure them that we all know whose fault it is really when drivers run over cyclists, and it's not that of the person behind the wheel.

I sometimes see riders with headphones in my area and always feel they are missing out on part of the experience of being in the countryside by not being able to hear the sound of the wind, or a curlew, of the beck beside the road but I suppose in Brighton it's all seagulls and lambrettas they're blotting out so probably a different situation down there.

Councillor Gill Mitchell of the Brighton & Hove council stated “The campaign was launched following road traffic collision statistics for Brighton and Hove over the last three years which show that FAILING TO LOOK PROPERLY is by far the biggest contributory factor.

If failing to LOOK PROPERLY is a major factor in accidents, why are the council wasting money by exhorting cyclists to stop using headphones? Do they think cyclists are so stupid they do not understand the function of headphones and are wearing them over their eyes?
This seems to be a classic case of victim blaming.

I've never worn headphones as such while cycling, but on a few early hours training rides on quiet roads I've used bone conduction headphones with the music relatively low. The advantage is your ear canal is open so you can still hear everything else clearly.

The risk of cars on the road was low at this time and I also often use a small mirror on the near side drop so I can check what is moving up behind easily without moving.

Would I use them on busier roads at busier times, probably not, in a group, no, on cycle paths and parks, doubt it.

'Twice today I shouted to riders on the road that I was overtaking, both, wearing headphones, moved out on me oblivious, thinking they had the the road to theirselves.'

sounds as though they should have used their *eyes*.

I use a earphone in one ear so I can hear info from Endomondo or Strava, but no other music etc, I hope this would not be seen as an issue.

If your ears work, use them.

Twice today I shouted to riders on the road that I was overtaking, both, wearing headphones, moved out on me oblivious, thinking they had the the road to theirselves.

I just can't see (hear) arguments on this, I have no mirrors and need to know what's behind me without constantly looking backwards.

Hear a vehicle, stay well out, as you year it start to pass, move in, it increases your clearance.

Makes no odds on motor vehicles,they have mirrors.

'I'll never wear earphones on the road. Just plain dangerous as you can get into your own world, be at higher risk and also be a danger to others.'

I've never 'got in my own world', been at higher risk or a danger to others when wearing earphones any more than I have when not wearing them.

If you ride like an idiot, you'll be an idiot, whether you can hear or not. That's all it comes down to, in the end.

Distraction?
What do they think about the dangers of distraction from the adverts on roundabouts they allow?

Please sign my petition to eliminate advertising signs on roundabouts

http://preview.tinyurl.com/qcsygbx

The mistake many make in this common debate is to assume earphones 'block out' the hearing, it removes one of the senses. It doesn't need to. You can't tell and it comes down to common sense of those choosing to listen to music when cycling.

I'll never wear earphones on the road. Just plain dangerous as you can get into your own world, be at higher risk and also be a danger to others.

All I know is that I have 5 senses, 2 of which are highly utilised for safety. While on the bike I have unimpaired vision and 100% hearing.

You can't equate removing one of these senses to an increased risk but I like to use all the tools available to me.

Not what I would have identified as a prime cause of cycling related road traffic incidents but it does amaze me that people go out into a dangerous environment and choose to block off a major sense be they in a car, on a bike, or as a pedestrian.

Jeez, you guys! No one cares whether you like headphones or not.

The council should be making better infrastructure, roadways that cope with human error, that's their job, not name-calling or blaming others.

I've seen car drivers wearing headphones/earphones, so will they be banned?

Don't wear any whilst on the road bike but wear an earbud on the left side whilst Mountain Biking. I can hear traffic and road noise on the important side.

If distraction is their issue then presumably they'll be doing a poster asking drivers to turn stereos off. Because they're distracting. Right? I mean, that would be oh never mind.

I have been cycling for 4 years as a start for fitness, then moved to mtb and now a road cyclist. I wear headphones, currently have wireless ones that Bluetooth to my phone.
I have the sound on low enough to hear traffic coming from all directions, I can hear them easily enough but I have the sound on loud enough to hear the music.
Personally it's down to that persons balance towards safety and enjoying music whilst cycling. It's about looking before changing direction & having a 360 degree knowledge of what's around you. This is whether you are wearing headphones or not, you NEED to know what's going on around you.
In the 2 years I've now gone to full road cycling I have never had an accident or near miss with any other traffic on the road whilst wearing headphones. I base that down to be responsible and having A knowledge of the traffic I'm sharing on the road. Only my personal opinion.

Just back from a ride where I wore EarPods all the way round listening to the test match. Can not see a problem, can hear cars behind, it focuses my mind and is no problem at all.

If using those noise reduction ones there could be a problem though if you cycle wearing those monstrosities I have no sympathy for you !

In my London commuting experience, cyclists (and peds) wearing headphones are a danger to other cyclists so for that reason alone I'd be in favour of a ban, but it'll never happen.

Also, a headphone-wearing cyclist involved in an accident will more likely have a more difficult time dealing with a claim against an insurer who'll use the argument that said cyclist is partially to blame for the accident.

obviously I cant speak for anyone else, and maybe my hearing is completely shoot to bits, but when Im cycling on the road and especially on built up city roads as it echoes and amplifies off the buildings, I cant hear anything but the noise of my pedalling, the wind and just a general thrum of engines & road background noise.

I cant pinpoint accurately where any individual engine noise was coming from on my bike,its why I always shoulder check because I cant tell if the engine noise is directly behind me, coming towards me,from the car on the opposite side of the road trying to pull out. and thats before you drop aload of road works drilling or digging noise, HGVs, air ambulances, emergency vehicles, buses, pedestrians, loud stereos in cars.

which is why when people do that shouty abuse thing at you from moving cars, its completely pointless, because I havent a clue what any of them are saying.

but there you go, when we all have electric cars there wont be a problem will there

I don't wear heardphones but, perhaps my ears don't work as well as the author of this poster because I don't think Would be able to tell the difference between the sound of an HGV about to pass 3inchs from my elbow (as per f#cking usual) or one that's going to hit me. I trust my eyes not my hears.

The danger to cyclists from motorised road users is perhaps so great that only by not wearing headphones can we properly hear aggressive drivers revving their engines preparing to make dangerous passing manoeuvers, and thus take evasive action before we are mown down.

It is for our own safety, but it really shouldn’t be necessary.

I stopped wearing headphones not because of an inability to hear, but because a good song often got me too excited and prone to taking risks.

and what about all those cars with heavy tinted glasses? We don't see anything inside, we can't check if the driver see us. What can they see at night or when it's cloudy?
Speaking for myself, I can't understand how you can put earphones when outside, as a pedestrian, a cyclist or worse, a motorist. And frankly, except if they put the volume to the max, what can they hear with all the noise around? People have lost common sense.

If wearing headphones is so dangerous because you cannot hear what's going on around you, then what happens when you are sealed into a metal box with full surround-sound and a Facebook feed?

(Disclaimer: I don't wear headphones.)