Women are often told that wearing earphones makes them responsible for not noticing danger.
It does not.
An attacker is responsible for an attack. Removing your earphones cannot make an unsafe road or public space safe.
Earphones can, however, affect how much you hear around you.
Consider what you need to hear
High volume and noise-cancelling functions may make it harder to hear:
- approaching vehicles;
- bicycles;
- footsteps;
- warnings from other people;
- dogs; or
- changes in activity around you.
This matters particularly near traffic, at crossings and in places where pedestrians share the road with vehicles or bicycles.
Adjust them to the environment
Options may include:
- lowering the volume;
- switching off noise cancellation;
- using a transparency or ambient-sound mode;
- wearing only one earphone where appropriate; or
- pausing the audio in a busy or unfamiliar area.
These choices may improve awareness. They cannot guarantee that you will detect or avoid a threat.
Do not let a device absorb all your attention
Repeatedly looking down to change songs, answer messages or adjust an app can distract you from traffic and activity nearby.
Set up what you want to hear before you start moving where possible.
You are entitled to enjoy your walk or run. The practical question is whether your audio settings still allow you to hear information you may need.
