It’s Legal to Wear Headphones While Riding Your Motorcycle in Nebraska: But Should You?
OMAHA, Nebraska. Different states have different laws regarding wearing headphones while riding your motorcycle. Nebraska is one state where it is legal to wear headphones while riding. Yet, should you?
According to Bicycling, the obvious risk of riding while wearing headphones is that you won’t be able to hear noises around you. We navigate and manage risk with our ears as well as our eyes. You might hear a car coming up behind your motorcycle long before you can see it.
Yet, headphones might not be all bad. According to Cycling Weekly, riders wearing headphones were found to be able to hear surrounding traffic just as well as drivers in their cars. We can sometimes easily forget how much the chassis of a car blocks sound. That said, when you combine the sounds of a motorcycle with the muffling effect of ear phones, ear phones might block more sounds for motorcyclists than they would for bikers, something which riders should keep in mind.
Yet, for motorcyclists who want to be safe, but who also want to listen to their tunes while riding, there are options out there. According to the Verge, new technology in helmets makes it possible for music to be played through bone conduction. Yes, you read that right—bone conduction. The helmet works by sending vibrations through your cheekbones, bypassing your ears. This allows you to keep your ears free to hear the sounds of traffic, while still enjoying your favorite tunes or navigation. Yet, this helmet is designed for bike riders. Motorcyclists may need to look elsewhere. Ride Apart offers a couple of motorcycle helmet options on its website.
Are ear buds really that bad an idea, though? Motorcycles are loud and many riders wear ear plugs to protect their hearing. Yet, putting in ear buds and playing the music really high to drown out the sound of your motorcycle can also harm your hearing. The best bet is a pair of earphones with noise cancelling capabilities. These earphones will serve the same function as ear plugs while also letting you enjoy tunes while on the road.
That said, blocking out noise does come with risks. Not only will you limit what you can hear around you, should you get into a car accident and find yourself seeking damages in a lawsuit, the other side might try to use the fact that you were listening to music against you. Never mind the fact that almost every other driver on the road listens to music while driving. There have certainly been cases where riders’ choices to listen to music has been raised in their personal injury cases.
If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident in Omaha, Nebraska, you may be facing a range of challenges. Not only might you be facing a long road to recovery, but you may also be struggling against the bias that some drivers or insurance companies have against riders. This can make settling your claim challenging. Rensch & Rensch Law are Omaha, Nebraska motorcycle accident lawyers who work closely with motorcycle accident victims to help them seek the compensation they may deserve under the law after a crash. If you’ve been hurt, protect your rights. Visit us at https://www.renschandrensch.com/motorcycle-accidents to learn more.
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