Driving With Headphones in Your Ears in Idaho: Legal or Illegal?

Driving around can be boring and a little too quiet at times. While cars come with radios, many people prefer to have headphones instead. Despite there being plenty of options to listen to music, this is what some drivers prefer. It helps some focus better, and for others, it helps them drown everything out. Having a headset to talk on the phone is one thing, but using it for music is entirely different. While it is always good to be comfortable driving, some laws need to be obeyed. If you are seen driving with headphones on your head or in your ears in Idaho, can you get a ticket for it?

Is it Illegal to Drive with Headphones in Idaho?

We have all driven by other cars and looked over to see a driver with headphones on or earbuds in their ears, but are they breaking the law? It depends on who you ask, which is what makes this so debatable. If you search the internet, you will see here, that only 9 states claim it is illegal to drive with headphones on, and Idaho isn't one of them. That would have one assuming, that you can't get pulled over or a ticket for driving with them on. While that is what this story says, that doesn't mean you should, because as the old phrase goes, 'you can't trust everything you read on the internet.'

Driving with Headphones or Earbuds in Idaho

Not trusting the internet, I reached out to a local officer to verify that driving with headphones or earbuds is legal in Idaho. He quickly shot down the internet and said that if he spots a driver with headphones or earbuds, especially if they are unable to hear sirens, he will indeed pull them over and issue a ticket. The reasoning for the ticket? It would be for careless driving or inattentive driving. He verified there is no specific law against headphones or earbuds, but it will still get you pulled over. A headset for your phone is different since you would likely be able to still hear things outside of the car. 

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While there may not be a law that specifically says not to drive with headphones or earbuds in Idaho, it is better to not do so. You need to be able to hear children in the car, the drivers around you, and any potential sirens, and it is not worth risking a ticket. Crank up the radio or put in an ole fashion CD and listen to music the way it was meant to be heard in the car. As road trip season is here, it is better to be safe and not risk it.