I spent much of my career in the music business, with a significant portion in the audiophile audio business. ALL car stereo systems are a shitty compromise to real high quality audio.
I used to have a 2006 Dakota quad cab with a better sound system than most living rooms. There is a reason car audio is a giant market. I can't even take you seriously.
A handful of posts from judgemental people is not "everyone." Spend a day anywhere, and count the headphones/ earbuds you see, and clearly there are a lot of people on my side. They are literally EVERYWHERE.
I remember when i got my first Walkman player in the early 80s, when they were brand-new. I was shocked at the nasty looks I'd get from people in the mall, just for wearing headphones. Apparently, I have to be fully prepared at all times to hear some grand pronouncement from some stranger. Apparently, after 50 years, those nasty old biddies still exist. News flash: I care more about my music/ podcast/ audiobook than ANY opinion you have.
Headphones/ Ear Buds are more popular than ever, accept it.
The entire point is that it's super dangerous to wear them while driving. If you can't see that I don't need to engage with your intellectually dishonest ass.
But why are they so dangerous? The only reason i can think of is because of sirens. I keep my volume levels at a reasonable levels, primarily because i don't want to damage my ears. I have never been suprised by an emergency vehicle, i ALWAYS hear them coming.
On the other hand, people who are just walking down the street need to be much more aware of their surroundings, like vehicles, dogs, machinery, yelled warnings, other potentially dangerous people, etc., yet nobody is suggesting that headphones be prohibited from use on the sidewalk, bus, airplane, subway, or anywhere else that safety is a priority, only cars.
Besides, i can always blast my car stereo speakers loud enough to drown out emergency vehicles, and speaking with a passenger is just as distracting as speaking on the phone, so why aren't car stereos or speaking to passengers prohibited?
The simple fact is that "safety" is the go-to excuse for the government to allow them to be more predatory towards car drivers. They have identified drivers as a cash cow for additional tax revenue, and they are always looking for new "crimes" to issue more fines.
Insurance companies are another factor. They want any excuse to fraudulently deny you the coverage you have paid for, so if they can claim you had headphones, they can deny your claim, even if the headphones had nothing to do with it.
The government and insurance company are only watching out for your safety and well-being, right? Money has nothing to do with it, right? Why would ANYBODY believe that?
Im not the one being intellectually dishonest, you are. Nobody has identified a single valid reason why wearing headphones is inherently dangerous. Its not the headphones that are the problem, its how they are used, and i consciously use them in a safe manner. But the "authorities" need judgemental citizens like you to help them demand acceptance by those of us who resist increased suppression of our freedoms. I'm not hurting anyone with my ear buds, so leave me the fuck alone.