New Biker Coming to Terms with Negligent Cars

Idleater

Max Headroom wrote: »

I thought it was illegal to wear in-ear headphones/sets on or in a motorised vehicle....not including helmet speakers...have the rules changed.??...i wear earplugs myself but they dont play music.....

huh? Could you point to any specific rule that defines such a specialist wording? If you search the statute book, the most closely resembling section is that covering Hands Free devices.

Secondly, what do you mean by 'music'? Is humming a tune music? I do that all the time. Is it okay to listen to vocals only but once the backing track starts you have to press stop?

I have had lessons (normal and RoSPA) over in ear headphones. I have them specifically moulded with the monitors in them.

If it is of any use to you, you actually can listen at a lower volume using them because they are tuned to remove wind and road noise as opposed to traffic noise.

Max Headroom

It was a simple question..no need to go off on one..:rolleyes:

Back in the 80s i was into touring bikes..i fitted a radio into my Vetter fairing (remember them..:o)...i also went to the trouble of fitting headphones in my lid...i was stopped once and the garda told me it was illegal in the lid , ok on the bike speakers though.....havent looked into it since..hence the question...

CrazyRabbit

Max Headroom wrote: »

I thought it was illegal to wear in-ear headphones/sets on or in a motorised vehicle....not including helmet speakers...have the rules changed.??...i wear earplugs myself but they dont play music.....

Well during the driving test, you get in-ear headphones and a receiver unit so you can take directions from the examiner. So I doubt it's illegal.

Max Headroom

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Well during the driving test, you get in-ear headphones and a receiver unit so you can take directions from the examiner. So I doubt it's illegal.

LookBehindYou

Max Headroom wrote: »

I thought it was illegal to wear in-ear headphones/sets on or in a motorised vehicle....not including helmet speakers...have the rules changed.??...i wear earplugs myself but they dont play music.....

Its not illegal.

For safety, its not advisable to be listening to music while riding.

Fiskar

Wear ear plugs myself at all times, it filters out the noises I need to hear, it helps me concentrate as well as protect my hearing. you cannot keep your concentration on a bike listening to the news at 5 wearing an ipod.
that is what my point was in relation to ipod users on motorbikes.

P.C.

Fiskar wrote: »

Wear ear plugs myself at all times, it filters out the noises I need to hear, it helps me concentrate as well as protect my hearing. you cannot keep your concentration on a bike listening to the news at 5 wearing an ipod.
that is what my point was in relation to ipod users on motorbikes.

I disagree.

I don't listen to the 'news at 5' - I hear it.
I will not remember a word that was said, unless I am stoped at the lights, and actually listining.
I also will not remember the songs that are playing, but while they are playing, I will hear them.

I talk to myself on the bike sometimes - and I mean out loud.
Can be quite embarasing when I am stoped at the lights, and my visor is up, and the pedestrians hear me.

Max Headroom

P.C. wrote: »

I disagree.

I don't listen to the 'news at 5' - I hear it.
I will not remember a word that was said, unless I am stoped at the lights, and actually listining.
I also will not remember the songs that are playing, but while they are playing, I will hear them.

I talk to myself on the bike sometimes - and I mean out loud.
Can be quite embarasing when I am stoped at the lights, and my visor is up, and the pedestrians hear me.

I think ya need help mate........................:D

KamiKazi

Max Headroom wrote: »

I think ya need help mate........................:D

That's nothing new

Anyway I find music helps me concentrate on the road, without I music I'd start thinking about whatever and drift off, few tunes keep me focused on the road.

Idleater

Fiskar wrote: »

you cannot keep your concentration on a bike listening to the news at 5 wearing an ipod.
that is what my point was in relation to ipod users on motorbikes.

But it's okay to listen to the "news at 5" while sitting in a car?

Listening to speech is different to taking part in a phone conversation.

There is a big difference between requiring mental effort to drive and maintain a conversation (where the other party is not able to see the circumstances where you are in) and being able to ignore some speech over headphones / speakers because there is something more important on the road in front of you.

I'll reiterate my point said previously, at what point to you draw the line between music and speech? Johnny Cash? Nina Simone? Drive Time with a musical article?

It is silly seeking legislation or "banning" certain things because they seem dangerous. In reality we all need to decide for ourselves what is dangerous under each and every circumstance. Some days I listen to music, most I do not.

LookBehindYou

Riding a bike requires 100% focus to stay alive.
If someone chooses to listen to an ipod while riding,, its their decision.
I can decide what is best for myself, and that means : no music while i ride.
It allows me to listen to the sound of my bike for revs,unusual noises,surrounding sounds, which would alert me quicker to any danger if something does not sound as it should.

Fiskar

LookBehindYou wrote: »

Riding a bike requires 100% focus to stay alive.
If someone chooses to listen to an ipod while riding,, its their decision.
I can decide what is best for myself, and that means : no music while i ride.
It allows me to listen to the sound of my bike for revs,unusual noises,surrounding sounds, which would alert me quicker to any danger if something does not sound as it should.

+1

P.C.

Max Headroom wrote: »

I think ya need help mate........................:D

KamiKazi wrote: »

That's nothing new

It is easy for you to say that - but look at it from my side...

I have tried to find help, but... once I start telling them my problems, they all of a sudden have something else to do.

Now, back to the problem at hand...

scully74

Co45 wrote: »

New Biker, some of my experiences so far

I've had a van, without warning, pull out into my lane causing me to have to slam on my brakes. I was inches from slamming into the back of him.

Cars are regularly pulling out onto the road when I have right of way. A couple of times I've had to swerve to avoid them.

When overtaking in traffic I have lost count of the amount of times a car will suddenly pull out to do a U turn or take a right, as always, without indicators.

Last night a taxi driver reversed blindly out onto a road I was driving down. I was a metre away from ending up over my handle bars.


Now I know bikes are harder for drivers to spot but ffs.
Anyone else have any near misses due to negligent drivers?

one rule i have is..if a car is waiting to turn across you on the main road...slow down and let him out cause he'll pull out anyway

RosieJoe

scully74 wrote: »

one rule i have is..if a car is waiting to turn across you on the main road...slow down and let him out cause he'll pull out anyway

And the bike coming past you on the outside then goes straight into the side of the car!

I have been involved a car accident where I was stopped in traffic, waved to someone to let them know I was letting them out (not that it was safe to come out). They came out, not paying enough attention which resulted in a 5 car crash, 2 of which were write offs (mine included) and several people being taken to hospital in ambulances. It took nearly 8 years to sort this out!

Simple rule is: never let anyone out! Don't care if I come across as an ignorant fecker, but rather safe than sorry on my part.

Idleater

RosieJoe wrote: »

Simple rule is: never let anyone out! Don't care if I come across as an ignorant fecker, but rather safe than sorry on my part.

That's not entirely true, I'd be more of the opinion never to signal for someone to make a manoeuvre. Give them the opportunity if you so wish, but since you can never confer right of way to them, you should force them to be observant and make the decision in their own right.

Dermot Illogical

hobochris wrote: »

Actually you'd be surprised what you'll learn in training.a big Part of my training was teaching me what to look out for, 90% of the time you can predict what a vehicle is going to do by the road position and how the vehicle is being driven.

+1
Training will also show how you can best hold control of the piece of road you're on so you can keep other traffic from putting you under pressure.
Most car drivers are easy enough to read. Generally you'll predict the move long before the indicator comes on, assuming they bother indicating. My rule of thumb is that if there's room for a car to move into, it probably will.

Xios

RT66 wrote: »

My rule of thumb is that if there's room for a car to move into, it probably will.

+1

Max Headroom

Mine is..."If you have to think about it, its probably too late"....