Dangers of Driving with Headphones

 Posted on May 11, 2018 in Criminal Defense

Music can make driving more enjoyable. If your stereo is broken or your passengers do not approve of your music choices, you may decide to listen to music through headphones while behind the wheel.

While it is okay to listen to music while driving, driving with headphones and listening to music is not.

Most people are unaware that driving with headphones is illegal and considered a traffic violation in Illinois. In addition to distracting you, driving with headphones prevents you from hearing important sounds such as sirens while you are in control of your vehicle. If you are unable to hear these sounds, your chance of causing an accident increases significantly.

Although driving with headphones is illegal, it is important there are some exceptions. You are allowed to drive with a hearing aid, Bluetooth earpiece, intercom-equipped motorcycle helmet, or a headset used by a construction worker or emergency responder.

How Driving with Headphones Leads to Distracted Driving

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that every day, nine people lose their lives because of an accident that involves a distracted driver. Distracted driving occurs when a driver engages in another activity while they are behind the wheel and takes their attention away from driving.

If you drive with headphones, your visual, manual, and cognitive abilities will be impaired. You will have to take your eyes off the road and off the steering wheel every time you change the song on the iPhone or other device you have connected your headphones to.

Additionally, when you drive with headphones, you cannot be an attentive driver. As you are listening to loud music, you may fail to see a traffic signal and cause a serious car accident as a result.

Consequences for Driving with Headphones in Illinois

Illinois takes driving with headphones seriously. If you are caught in the driver’s seat with headphones, you may be left with a $500 fine. While the consequences for this offense may seem minor because there is no jail time involved, driving with headphones can lead to other offenses that come with more severe consequences.

Contact Our Naperville Traffic Violation Lawyers

If you get injured in an accident that was caused by a driver who had headphones in their ears or a driver who was engaging in another form of distracted driving, you should reach out to our highly skilled Naperville traffic violation lawyers right away. For a free consultation, call us at 630-953-3000.

Source:

http://www.news-gazette.com/living/2015-08-30/john-roska-headphones-no-no-while-driving.html