(no subject)
55-8-193. Excessive noise from motor vehicles. -
No person operating or occupying a motor vehicle on any public street, highway, alley, parking lot, or driveway shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system including, but not limited to, any radio, tape player, compact disc player, loud speaker, or any other electrical device used for the amplification of sound from within the motor vehicle so that the sound is plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) or more feet from the vehicle. For the purpose of this section, “plainly audible” means any sound that clearly can be heard, by unimpaired auditory senses based on a direct line of sight of fifty feet (50") or more; however, words or phrases need not be discernible and such sound shall include bass reverberation.
A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine only of up to fifty dollars ($50.00)
I could find no law prohibiting the wearing of headphones while driving in the state of TN.
A search of http://www.state.tn.us/safety/05Manual.pdf for the word "headphones" revealed that it is not recommended (the passage refers to Novice Teen Drivers), and that it is not legal to drive while wearing them in most states, but no search result revealed a law prohibiting it specifically using the word "headphones".
In twelfth grade -- was it really almost two years ago? -- I emailed the Department of Motor Vehicles asking them, and they said it was legal.
Certain people (*cough* Jeremy) feel it should be illegal. I strongly disagree. I should not be denied the right to wear headphones (that do not cancel noise) while driving; I am responsible enough to not play music at a volume that interferes with outside noise -- unlike most with "car systems" (read: amplifiers in your trunk), such as my older brother.
Certainly, many who wear headphones do not realize that it is bad for your hearing to listen to music at a volume that drowns out other noise, but this very same fact applies equally to those with car systems -- and face it, if you can hear them coming 100 feet away, what makes you think the person in that car can hear better than they could with headphones?
The aforementioned rule perhaps is meant to prevent the latter, but as any MTSU student can attest, it is not enforced.
No person operating or occupying a motor vehicle on any public street, highway, alley, parking lot, or driveway shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system including, but not limited to, any radio, tape player, compact disc player, loud speaker, or any other electrical device used for the amplification of sound from within the motor vehicle so that the sound is plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) or more feet from the vehicle. For the purpose of this section, “plainly audible” means any sound that clearly can be heard, by unimpaired auditory senses based on a direct line of sight of fifty feet (50") or more; however, words or phrases need not be discernible and such sound shall include bass reverberation.
A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine only of up to fifty dollars ($50.00)
I could find no law prohibiting the wearing of headphones while driving in the state of TN.
A search of http://www.state.tn.us/safety/05Manual.pdf for the word "headphones" revealed that it is not recommended (the passage refers to Novice Teen Drivers), and that it is not legal to drive while wearing them in most states, but no search result revealed a law prohibiting it specifically using the word "headphones".
In twelfth grade -- was it really almost two years ago? -- I emailed the Department of Motor Vehicles asking them, and they said it was legal.
Certain people (*cough* Jeremy) feel it should be illegal. I strongly disagree. I should not be denied the right to wear headphones (that do not cancel noise) while driving; I am responsible enough to not play music at a volume that interferes with outside noise -- unlike most with "car systems" (read: amplifiers in your trunk), such as my older brother.
Certainly, many who wear headphones do not realize that it is bad for your hearing to listen to music at a volume that drowns out other noise, but this very same fact applies equally to those with car systems -- and face it, if you can hear them coming 100 feet away, what makes you think the person in that car can hear better than they could with headphones?
The aforementioned rule perhaps is meant to prevent the latter, but as any MTSU student can attest, it is not enforced.