California Law Bans Headphones for Cyclists

If you are a cyclist cruising down your regular cycling strip to work in California with your headphones on and your favorite songs blaring through them, as of the first of the year, you have officially been breaking the law. Unaware cyclists are already finding punishment over this new law that some call overbearing.

According to the Section 27400 of the California Vehicle Code, cyclists are now prohibited from wearing a headset, earplugs, or earphones in both ears, something that many cyclists do to drown out street noise. However, as many have already found out, breaking this new law will net a fairly hefty $178 fine.

While many are outraged at such prosecution of a victimless crime, there are other cyclists that realize there are victims of wearing headphones. The victim’s are the cyclists themselves. So long as they are mindful, a cyclist listening to music probably won’t end up hurting anyone. However, that also means they won’t hear any vehicles coming up behind them. This puts them in grave danger of not being able to react to a negligent motorist. Of course, there would be no need for such laws if motorists were better trained to share the road and more bicycle lanes were installed throughout major cities.

While there won’t be much fighting these fines, if you are a cyclist that has been in a cycling accident due to the negligence of those who need to share the road with you, contact us today. The Law Office of Gary Brustin fights for cyclists and their right for their share of the road.