Have you ever been held at a green light in traffic simply because the person in front of you isn’t aware of what’s going on? The problem is the lack of attentiveness, and there are many things that can distract drivers from what’s most important, and that’s the road. These days, there are all sorts of things that can divert a driver’s attention from the road. These things can be cell phones, rambunctious children in the backseat, makeup, or even an attractive jogger on the side of the road. However, one of the most dangerous distractions is MP3 players and earphones.
Aside from the fact that driving with earphones in is illegal in almost all states, it presents a hazard to both you and other drivers on the road. Though, you may feel as if you have to listen to your music through earphones because there is a technical problem with your car’s normal audio system. The best advice for this situation is to not listen to music at all.
One of the number one reasons driving with earphones in your ears is dangerous is because this means you are audibly not aware of what’s going on around you on the road. Even though it may not seem like it, you use your ears most of the time when driving a vehicle to help you stay alert of your surroundings. For example, if an emergency vehicle were in your vicinity, it would be nearly impossible to detect it through the earphones. Another driver might also be honking at you to alert you of a problem, such as a pedestrian or oncoming obstruction.
Another significant reason that makes wearing earphones while driving dangerous is the fact that most, if not all MP3 players are not hands-free. This means that operating the MP3 player while driving can present a major risk. You could simply look down to change the song playing on the device and look up a second later to find that you’ve ran a red light or you’re seconds away from hitting somebody. Also, the cords extending down from the earphones can also become a problem because they could be in the way when you’re trying to react or reach for something quickly. The likelihood of getting tangled in the cords while trying to grasp for something isn’t likely, but the possibility is always there and it must be considered.
Instead of putting your MP3 player away and assuming that you won’t be able to listen to music at all, it may be worthwhile to look into an FM transmitter for your device. An FM transmitter will designate the audio output from your device to a specific FM channel on the radio, so that you can simply tune your vehicle’s radio to that specific station. This is a much better and safer way of listening to your music without having to resort to earphones.