Q&A: Will I get a ticket for drinking coffee
A proposed law that would prohibit drivers from doing non-driving activities behind the wheel has drivers wondering if they'll really be ticketed for drinking coffee?
White earbuds may be a common sight on New Jersey roads, but is it legal to use them while driving?
A reader asked that question, recognizing that the earbuds also act as a hands-free device for the phone.
"I would think this would be a rather unsafe way to drive, and the drivers I see in these cars usually confirm that is the case," he wrote.
Q: Is it illegal to drive in the state of New Jersey with earbuds in your ears?
A: We asked Sgt. Jeff Flynn, a New Jersey State Police spokesman, who agreed with our reader's assessment, that the iPhone earbuds would be considered a hands-free device for the phone and are legal to use.
"It would be considered a hands-free device, like a Bluetooth," he said.
However, Flynn recommends drivers use caution and leave one earbud out of their ear so they can hear what is happening on the road.
"Use the one that comes with microphone and leave the other one out, so you can hear," he said.
Earbuds can get a driver in trouble with the law if they are involved in a crash and an investigation shows that using the earbuds caused the collision, Flynn said.
"If you had both earbuds in and were listening to loud music, you could be cited, if you couldn't hear a horn and it caused an accident," he said.
What about earbuds that function only as headphones? New Jersey falls in line with many states that don't prohibit use of earbuds or headphones, according toa AAA digest of traffic laws.
But that is starting to change, with California and Massachusetts joining states that have outlawed earbud and headphone use by drivers. Some states make an exception for microphone-equipped earbuds, which function as a hands-free device for cell phones.
Some states, such as New York and Colorado allow drivers to use only one earbud, so they can hear sirens and other audible warnings.
Readers ask questions and we try and get them answers, such as whether commuters will get a dry place to wait for the train in Bound Brook orwhen the next phase of the Route 206 bypass will get underway. Email or Tweet your questions to the addresses that follow.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
