You may be surprised if you pass another driver and they’re wearing headphones. Most people listen to music while they drive, but the majority of them just do it over the built-in stereo system in the car. Someone who decides to listen to their music on headphones is an outlier, although they may be doing so simply because headphones have much better sound quality.
In some states, this is illegal. Examples include Alaska, Colorado and California. In some instances, drivers are allowed to use one earbud if they’re making hands-free phone calls. That’s how the law is set up in Colorado, for example. But, other states prohibit the use of headphones entirely. Where does Texas stand?
Headphones are not prohibited
Drivers can wear headphones under Texas law. The state does not have any laws or prohibitions against it.
That said, the use of headphones could still factor in after a car accident. Maybe they caused the driver to act negligently or dangerously, leading to a crash. After all, music is a major source of distraction. A driver who is listening to music may not be paying as much attention to the road, causing them to run a stop sign or a red light.
On top of that, headphones insulate the driver from traffic around them. Maybe that driver didn’t hear your car, didn’t check their blind spot and merged into your vehicle on the interstate. Would they have made the same mistake without the headphones?
If you have suffered injuries in an accident, you may be able to seek financial compensation from the at-fault driver. Make sure you know what steps to take.