The laws against wearing headphones in the U.S. varies from state to state with some states it being illegal and others not, and some with a "one ear only" policy. These laws are no more than a few years old. These headphone laws are lumped in with other distracted driver issues such as texting and other cellphone-related distractions. There have been been a couple of cases recently where fatalities were caused by drivers not being able to hear sirens because of listening to music too loud. The statistics concerning distracted driving in the U.S. has reached absurd levels so I understand the crackdown. Here are some 2020 US stats:
The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving. 21% of all teen driving fatalities involve the driver distracted by a cellphone.
It can also be costly. It British Columbia, Canada, it is a $600 fine and three demerits against your driver's license for wearing headphones on both ears while driving. And if you do receive a Distracted Driving Citation, your insurance premium can go up as much as 25%. J.B. is safe driving in the neighboring Providence of Alberta, using headphones while driving is not illegal. So he is fine with his aviation set as long as he is not eating a sandwich or drinking a soda because eating and drinking food is considered a distraction and is a $300 fine in Alberta, Canada.
