The other day, while walking my dog, I saw an Amazon delivery person wearing AirPods while driving. This made me wonder if wearing headphones while driving is illegal because it could limit surrounding traffic noises. 

Is it illegal to wear AirPods while driving? 

It might be illegal to wear AirPods while driving based on where you live. It’s only illegal for drivers to wear headphones in certain states. 

In North Carolina, you can wear headphones behind the wheel. But it’s illegal for drivers to wear AirPods or any type of headphones in both ears while driving in California. 

California Vehicle Code (CVC) 27400 states that a person operating a motor vehicle can’t wear a headset, earplugs, or headphones covering both ears. But at least that leaves headsets available for truckers. In Indiana, all headphone use behind the wheel is illegal. 

According to The Zebra, wearing headphones behind the wheel is dangerous. They can black crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and other traffic sounds. This might hinder your ability to react to potentially dangerous situations or an emergency on the road. 

Here’s where things get tricky. Even if driving with one headphone in your ear is technically legal, it can be considered a form of distracted driving. 

Police officers may consider that the use of headphones has impaired a driver’s ability to operate safely. Officers can choose to prosecute for careless or distracted driving. 

The practice is actually illegal in 35 different states. But the Amazon driver in my North Carolina neighborhood wasn’t breaking any laws. Also, I didn’t take down his information or narc on him.