[kartoosh]

Originally Posted by Coyote

It appears the Govt./ police department coffers are running low. Given that the police has (to my knowledge) discontinued use of breathalysers post Covid, they need an excuse to stop vehicles and earn some money. Check the DL, RC, PUC, compliance with whatever the latest mask mandate is, etc.

Given that my car, as most new vehicles, has an inbuilt bluetooth / android auto / apple CarPlay technologies, can I simply not mute the audio upon seeing cops? Are they going to be holding shotgun microphones to check if you have your radio / Spotify on?!

Breath Analysers are back as per media reports few days back with some flimsy arrangement to mitigate Covid related issues.

[jkrishnakj]

If revenue was the key driver for this rule, the traffic police at Bangalore can be the richest in a few hours. They just have to stop every two wheeler riding on the wrong side. It’s a city that sees bikes and cabs and autos and sometimes even trucks that drive on the wrong side.

I’m guessing the authorities feel that those probably are less dangerous than listening to music over a Bluetooth set.

[ampere]

So one can connect his phone to a car HU by cable and mirror it on the HU to listen music, use navigation; but cant wirelessly pair by bluetooth and do the same?

Some one has to set the logic right with the authorities!

[ph03n!x]

I'm hazarding a guess -

Bluetooth in the context of this thread's title implies wireless earphones/ headphones.

Earphones implies the wired ones.

[GeeTee TSI]

Sarcasm aside, I think the intent is to avoid

• devices which will block out ambient noise, like earphones (type of earphones are immaterial TBH)
• any sort of distraction whilst driving, like a phone conversation or fiddling with the phone held in hand

To be fair these are proven to be distractions which can reduce the ability to react to traffic situations, thereby increasing the risk (many organisations already have strict policies of no phone calls while behind the wheel, period). It sure is an inconvenience as we have been doing some of the above.

I agree there are more fundamental needs to be addressed but not necessarily to be taken up one at a time rather all of these need to be tackled simultaneously

[sadnabrina]

Originally Posted by Axe77

I am waiting for the day when someone in government realises that bad roads can also lead to accidents. It will be even more incredible if any accountability / penalty is placed on the concerned government / department on account of such bad roads.

Spot on! Can we (T-BHP) as a community move and take steps to bring this "realisation" in them?
What steps - I don't know now, but we can surely work it out.

[KrisTvpm]

Not sure if I understand this new rule implementation correctly & whether all the brickbats thrown at police/law are really appropriate, in this matter!

AFAIK, they've not banned listening to music via speakers embedded into the vehicle (ofcourse, 3/4/multi-wheelers) - whether from FM/USB/mobile/others.

If my understanding is correct, ban is on attending to calls / listening to music either via bluetooth or wired earphones - both of which plug into one's ears, and thereby reduce the sensitivity to outside noise. Both are distractions, and will affect the driver's efficiency in responding to our chaotic traffic & worst roads.

If the ban is restricted to only the above, this doesn't seem like a bad implementation.

Do we have motor-worthy & well planned out roads infra on which we can ply effortlessly : that's a different matter which the govt should've addressed first, before this ban on earphones - agree.

[yajaman99]

There is always two sides to a story.
I am not in favour of banning handsfree telephone operation.
The technology was invented to avoid one juggling with the phone while trying to answer a call.

Real life experience from a few years back while driving to office, I know there is an Interceptor at this location and I always stay below 60Kmph.
However one day I received an office call via the headunit. I was talking and happened to cross 60kmph ie 65kmph.
Although my attention was on the traffic due to me talking I missed keeping an eye on my speed. Hence got a speeding ticket by being caught by the same Interceptor.

A more recent incident ,I got pulled over after taking the left turn at Cauvery Signal to enter Brigade road.
I know I crossed the Signal when it was yellow, however the Cop who flagged me said I crossed when the Pedestrian Signal was Green and the buzzer was on.
Now with the radio on, family chatting in the car and me wearing my Jabra 65T ear bud in my right ear I am not to sure if I heard the buzzer or not.
The cop also did not notice my ear bud else the fine would have been higher.

I consider myself a safe driver and I do follow the rules quite strictly and I still made these errors.

Like everyone said, the next ban could be talking to your co passengers as this too is a distraction.

When using these devices our alertness should be more is my take.

Just my 2 cents.

[Rajeevraj]

I think more clarity is needed on this. As I understand the context here is "in-ear". You cannot use an in ear headphone, bluetooth or wired to either listen to music or take calls. And the logic I assume is that any in ear device will further cut down the ambient noise of the surrounding traffic or alerts. I tend to agree to this. Our roads are chaotic enough (That by itself of course is a different discussion), and compromising your hearing awareness by in ear devices definitely makes things dangerous for oneself as well as other road users. Of course one can argue that an in car conversation with co-passengers can also be distracting. But an in cabin conversation will not be as continuous or as intense as a phone conversation due to the benefit of physical proximity.

I also used to take calls (through the HU/Car speakers only) and I have realized I am definitely distracted and focus more on the call rather than on the road and sometimes after 5 min of a phone conversation, I don't even remember the last 5 minutes of driving-It seems to have been in an autopilot mode. Now a days I try to avoid taking calls in any kind of hands free mode in the car other than telling I am driving and will call back or if urgent stopping and then taking it.

[vinair]

This ban should be extended to everyone on the road, even for pedestrians. In my case, the maximum number of times I have ever honked is to alert a soul who’s plugged a device into his/her/their ears and are either walking or crossing the road.

[whitewing]

I kind of understand the need to bring in some control - I see lots of motorists (2,3,4 wheelers) engrossed in animated conversation on their phones. I personally found that receiving calls was distracting, especially ones that need deeper thought/reflection. Based on this experience, I have stopped taking calls when I am driving.
I wonder how the delivery guys and the cab drivers cope up with this rule.

---
But, if this is seen as distracting, surely the conversation with co passengers would be as distracting. Likewise, loud music and loud engines(and modded exhausts) that reduce road awareness should be banned as well. And while at it, ban helmets, because am unenclosed ear would allow all the road noise in.
While we are at it, why space the billboards /s

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

Sarcasm aside, I think the intent is to avoid

• devices which will block out ambient noise, like earphones (type of earphones are immaterial TBH)
• any sort of distraction whilst driving, like a phone conversation or fiddling with the phone held in hand

So would you by the same logic say that earplugs which are recommended for riders ought to be banned? And so should deaf folk from getting a driver's license? And I suppose electric vehicles as well while we're at it

Give me a break; if hearing is considered to add a significant layer of safety, then there is something fundamentally wrong with the way people pilot their vehicles. Perhaps they don't use their mirrors enough.

[GeeTee TSI]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

So would you by the same logic say that earplugs which are recommended for riders ought to be banned? And so should deaf folk from getting a driver's license? And I suppose electric vehicles as well while we're at it

Give me a break; if hearing is considered to add a significant layer of safety, then there is something fundamentally wrong with the way people pilot their vehicles. Perhaps they don't use their mirrors enough.

While being sensitive towards people who require hearing aid and leaving them out of the discussion (please); my personal experience of walking with earphones have had its share of close calls. I firmly believe in the added layer of alertness amidst traffic

[navrddy]

Ban is appropriate, there could be hundreds of use cases. We can't expect traffic police to define each use case, it is not practical and not possible.
People are misusing existing rules to make life easy, without any understanding on impact of their behavior on public spaces.

I,am for ban of such Bluetooth, earphones , air-pods etc in all segments of transportation during driving.

[Nalin1]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Give me a break; if hearing is considered to add a significant layer of safety, then there is something fundamentally wrong with the way people pilot their vehicles. Perhaps they don't use their mirrors enough.

So here we go again with our cops so concerned about people's lives being endangered due to bluetooth while potholes are causing deaths.

IMO hearing plays a very very minimal role. Traffic sense, situational awareness and as mentioned by IshaanIan, usage of all the mirrors go a long long way towards safety. But yes, what the rules state is not hearing but the distraction which is no different really from a conversation with a fellow passenger or a phone call without a earpiece.