Talking on 2 Wheels

Since my article about the iPhone Helmet Headset, I've been talking with a lot of people about using a phone while riding, especially in regards to safety. In response to what seems to be a fairly heated debate, I'd like to make my own thoughts on the matter clear.

First of all, I've always been critical of people driving with a cell phone to their ear. It's statistically been made pretty obvious that it cuts into your reaction time and distracts you from the road. Using a hands free system helps, but due to the fact that the person on the other end of the line can't see or react to things that the driver can, the driver is still distracted. This rule applies to motorcyclists as well. If you're paying more attention to the voice in your helmet than the road in front of you, there's a pretty good chance you may miss something (or worse, hit something you probably should have missed). 

The problem I find with this argument is that it just seems a little too black and white to me. There's definitely a gray area to be considered here. Yes, I will answer my phone if it rings while I'm on the road, but that doesn't mean that I'm chit-chatting about last nights episode of American Idol. I'll answer to tell someone I'm on my way, or get a message about, say, picking up a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread on the way home, but if someone calls me just to chat, or to talk about anything more extensive than a minute long conversation, I always tell them that I'll call them back when I'm not on the road anymore. What I definitely won't do is make an outgoing call while riding. That would require focusing not just some of my attention, but my vision as well, on my phone, and that's a risk I'm not willing to take. 

As for those who feel that listening to music while riding is too much of a distraction, how many of you listen to the radio in your car? The DOT, as well as the MSF I believe, actually recommend wearing earplugs while riding to eliminate some of the wind noise. Music is not much different, as far as I'm concerned. 

I'd love to hear some other opinions on this one, so please don't hesitate to leave comments.

p.s. I know the guy in my stolen stock photo looks like a real tool. Try not to let that affect your opinion too much...