Cycling: Why you should be wary of cyclists who wear headphones

In Quebec, it’s illegal to ride a bicycle while listening to headphones. Although few cyclists will agree with me, I wish the law would change in B.C. as well.

As a coach and avid cyclist, I am more than ecstatic to have more people riding, but more bikes on the road mean new risks. When I ride in traffic, I try to anticipate what a car will do and act accordingly. But when I ride up behind a cyclist wearing headphones, I am always wary.

Listening to music can transport people to another world, which is one allure of headphones, but also a nuisance and danger to everyone else. Of course, these riders also put themselves at risk.

Just like everything in life, there are exceptions to every rule and I know of a few competent riders who become hyper-aware of their surroundings because they’re hard of hearing, however I’m critical of the cyclists who listen to music to “check out.”

Think about it. You are a very small, fragile person on a very small, fragile bike. You have no way of communicating to other vehicles, meaning you don’t have a horn and your voice only carries so far. You have only two ways to protect yourself from the vehicles chasing each other to work each day: your sight and your hearing.

Wearing ear buds takes away half of your senses, making you more vulnerable to being hit and a hazard to cyclists you can’t hear.

The most difficult part of this problem are the cyclists who don’t realize the danger they cause because they simply aren’t aware. I pass a cyclist wearing headphones the same way I pass small children on bikes: with extreme caution. I never know what they are going to do next because they rarely realize I’m beside them.

Six years ago in Grimsby, Ontario, a train ran over and killed a teen because he was walking on the tracks and failed to respond to the train’s repeated whistles because his earphones drowned out the warnings.

In 2008, in Cranbrook B.C., a 23-year-old man was killed when a helicopter crash-landed directly on top of him.

Think about it. If one couldn’t hear a helicopter directly above him and another was deaf to train whistles directly behind him, how can you be sure you’ll hear voices or car horns?

Since most people need to be plugged in 16 hours a day, I know I’m not going to win the war on headphones. But for your own safety as well as mine, we could compromise with a few common sense practices.

1. Always ride on the far right-hand side of the road, leaving room for traffic to pass and expecting cars and cyclists to pass.

2. Look behind you frequently so you are aware of your surroundings and know when other cyclists are riding behind you or attempting to pass.

3. Act predictably. Signal when stopping and turning and follow the rules of the road.

4. Look behind you to ensure it is clear and safe before moving further onto the road or making a turn.

5. If you really can’t leave home without your music, wear only one earbud so you can hear what is happening around you.

To learn more safe riding tips please review Bike Sense, a very useful cyclist’s “operator’s manual” published by the British Columbia Cycling Coalition http://ow.ly/nAhRM.

Kristina Bangma is a coach, personal trainer and writer with a love of riding and racing. Email questions to kristina@kitsenergy.com.