Walking, biking, and driving with AirPods (or any earbuds) considerably raises accident risk.

Walking down the street with “Te Quería Ver” or "Super" by Bb trickz playing on repeat through your AirPods might feel like the perfect soundtrack for walking your dog to the nearest potty patch or bicycling to Harris Teeter to pick up a few essentials... but it could also mean drowning out the world around you. You might say, well yea, that's the point Chris. And I get it, not having to listen to the ambiance of whatever city you live in is pretty tempting. However, recent studies show that headphones and earbuds blunt critical auditory cues, leaving walkers, cyclists, and even drivers vulnerable to collisions, accidents, and other potentially avoidable mishaps. If you want to give yourself the best chance, statistically speaking, of making it to the end of that true crime podcast episode or whatever podcast you tell people you listen to, consider waiting to willingly redirect your focus until you're in a safer, more predictable environment.

Here's the deal. People distracted by music miss danger signals. A seemingly obvious statement, however it's underscored by a landmark University of Maryland study that reviewed 116 cases of pedestrian injuries and deaths in which victims were wearing headphones, finding that 70 % of those incidents proved fatal and nearly one‑third of drivers had sounded a warning horn before impact, only to be unheard. Wow. ScienceDaily noted that serious injuries among headphone‑wearing pedestrians tripled in just six years, underscoring how pervasive and growing this risk has become. In many cases, completely avoidable and tragic deaths.

It’s not just fatalities driving these statistics... A CDC observational study on two urban college campuses found that 20.4 % of pedestrians were wearing headphones while crossing streets, more than any other single distraction after texting, and distracted walkers were markedly less likely to look for oncoming traffic. Another CDC review highlighted that audio distractions contribute to “inattentional blindness,” where even obvious hazards go unperceived when earbuds are in place. Science Direct defines inattentional blindness as "the phenomenon where individuals fail to notice obvious but unexpected objects or events in their visual field when their attention is engaged with another task, even if the unexpected stimulus is within their spatial focus of attention".

Drivers aren’t immune. The UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents warns that headphones, especially noise‑cancelling versions, “reduce acoustic cues” vital for safe driving, such as sirens, horns, and tire screeches, and can delay reaction times when switching attention back to the road. U.S. data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that any mental distraction, even hands‑free phone calls, slows drivers’ hazard detection and reaction by up to 20 %, implying that auditory deprivation via earbuds is similarly dangerous.

On two wheels, the risks multiply. A 2011 study found that cyclists wearing standard in‑ear buds missed 68 % of auditory stop signals (signals that would have warned them to brake or look around) though performance normalized when just one earbud was use. (Which was my strategy playing video games as a kid late at night when I wasn't supposed to, one ear bud in, one ear pointed towards the stairs.) Anyways, whether you’re pedaling through downtown traffic or a quiet neighborhood, muffled "break!" screams and vehicles can appear out of nowhere. Is a 20% slower reaction time worth it? That's if you notice at all.

Even transparency mode which is heavily marketed as a safety feature can’t fully restore your situational awareness. Built‐in mics in “pass‑through” modes capture ambient sound, but they alter acoustic cues and can distort spatial localization. Even the ones they don't. A recent MDPI study demonstrated that hearables’ transparency algorithms warp directional hearing, making it harder to pinpoint where noises originate under real‑world conditions . Reddit users echo this: transparency still “blocks sound waves from directly entering your ear,” meaning location and volume of warning sounds can be misrepresented .

Final verdict. Next time you queue up your favorite song or dive into a podcast, pause and ask: do I really need these earbuds right now? Seriously consider keeping one, or both out until you’re safely out of harms way. Who knows, you just might notice a songbird in the trees or a honk that saves your life. If nothing else, do us all a favor and pay attention.

If you want a sweet discount on airpods pro 2, check out our affiliate link here. Now 32% off on Amazon. (If you buy from us we get a 3% commission and it helps keep the lights on - thanks!).

Thank you for reading. Like the story? Keep us going. Quality, independent journalism takes time and resources - your support makes it possible. If this piece resonated with you, please consider making a one‑time contribution. . Donate now

‍

‍