New Hampshire Cell Phone Law: Can You Wear AirPods While Driving?

One of the guys on our sales team... we'll call him "Shawnee-O" comes up in my office on fire, like there's definitely something on his mind. He immediately says, you know what I hate...

"When I see someone driving and they have air-pods in their ears."

It was a random conversation that somehow turned into a full-blown office debate. Even after leaving my office, I could hear him complaining from down the hall.

He said, "seeing someone driving with AirPods in makes me absolutely crazy."

My response?

"What's the difference between talking through your car's bluetooth speakers and talking through AirPods?" Well, as you can imagine, that fired him up even more and didn't like the debate.

Turns out... the answer isn't quite as obvious as you might think.

New Hampshire has only had a hands-free law since 2015. The big takeaway is simple: you can't hold or use a handheld cell phone while driving. "Distracted driving" according the New Hampshire of Highway Safety. That includes talking, texting, scrolling social media, checking email, or using apps while your vehicle is moving, or even while you're stopped at a red light. Emergency situations are, of course, an exception.

But what about AirPods, Bluetooth earbuds, or other wireless headphones?

Surprisingly, New Hampshire law doesn't specifically ban drivers from wearing Bluetooth earbuds or AirPods. If you're using them as a hands-free device for a phone call, that generally falls within the state's hands-free requirements. Bluetooth headsets are commonly recognized as an acceptable hands-free option.

That's where our office debate really picked up. Here's where Shawnee-O's face turned red.

If someone has Bluetooth built into their vehicle, talking through the stereo speakers seems perfectly normal.

But not everyone drives a brand-new vehicle. Plenty of people are behind the wheel of older cars without Bluetooth or Apple CarPlay. For them, popping in an AirPod might actually be the easiest... and legal... way to stay hands-free without ever touching their phone.

Of course, legal and smart aren't always the same thing.

Some people argue wearing earbuds can make it harder to hear emergency sirens, train horns, or even another driver honking. Others say using just one earbud is no different than listening to the radio or having a conversation with a passenger. That's my thought. I wear airpods because the exhaust on my truck is... for lack of a better term... loud. Easier to hear a conversation with air-pods.

The law doesn't settle that debate... it simply focuses on keeping your hands off your phone.

I think that "Shawnee-o" is still in his office trying to argue with the wall.

So now I'm curious...

Where do you stand?

Would you rather someone:

Talk through their vehicle's Bluetooth speakers?
Use one AirPod?
Use two AirPods?
Or would you rather nobody wear earbuds while driving at all?

I'll admit it... I never expected a conversation about AirPods to spark one of the biggest debates in our office this week. But judging by how passionate everyone was, I have a feeling we're not the only ones with opinions.