I received the following in another forum, if it is true we can now legally use foam earplugs. SEC. 45. Section 27400 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 27400. A person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may not wear a headset covering, or earplugs in, both ears. This prohibition does not apply to any of the following: (a) A person operating authorized emergency vehicles, as defined in Section 165. (b) A person engaged in the operation of either special construction equipment or equipment for use in the maintenance of any highway. (c) A person engaged in the operation of refuse collection equipment who is wearing a safety headset or safety earplugs. (d) A person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of earplugs or molds that are specifically designed to attenuate injurious noise levels. The plugs or molds shall be designed in a manner so as to not inhibit the wearer's ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle. (e) A person using a prosthetic device that aids the hard of hearing. We couldn't have done this without the help of Debra Bowen...drop her a note and thank her--and pass the word. Let's get 10,000 people to email her, and we can pitch another m/c bill next year... http://democrats.sen.ca.gov/senator/bowen/
huh? that sounds like the existing law. oh, the wording is slightly changed on (d) ? ah, they took out the words 'custom' in two places. 27400. No person operating any motor vehicle or bicycle shall wear any headset covering, or any earplugs in, both ears. The prohibition of this section does not apply to any of the following: .... (d) Any person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of custom earplugs or molds that are designed to attenuate injurious noise levels. The custom plugs or molds shall be designed in a manner so as to not inhibit the wearer's ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle. ....
Exactly. As now worded, it removes any taint of illegality from using foam earplugs. It now allows simply "earplugs" rather than "custom earplugs." No idea if it's legit, but ISTR hearing something about an attempt to get the existing law revised. This is precisely the revision I would have looked for. Steve 65
I had heard there was sometning in the works on this, I guess it really happened. Of course, I just bought a pair of 'custom' earplugs. -- muddy Testing the limits of gravity since 1947. icq - 219328929
(Kriyamanna) wrote in That was going to be my question: Is the change in effect now. If what you say is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, then we are still "illegal" with foam earplugs until Jan 1, 2004. Oh, well, it won't stop me from wearing them; it hasn't up to this point. -Keith
Yah. I've gone on long-distance trips and forgotten ear plugs - yikes my ears were ringing for days!! I decided that I'd rather pay a ticket than lose my hearing - looks like soon I won't have to do either. JGB
I received the following in another forum, if it is true we can now legally use foam earplugs. I use foam earplugs, and have removed them in front of officers during my occasional "roadside business meetings". I have never had an officer comment about the plugs. I also don't know anyone who has been cited for non-custom earplugs. Although it's clearly not legal, I think the potential for a ticket is overblown, but it's good the law is being revised. Ken Ishiguro
