Headphones can kill you!

Wearing headphones can be a dangerous thing. In fact it can cause your death, not because of a danger with the devices but because they shut out ambient noise, making the wearer vulnerable.

A school girl was crushed by a truck in Balmain, central Trinidad recently while wearing headphones. Reports state that she alighted from a vehicle and did not hear the truck approaching. Every day there are similar reports all over the world.

Now the government of Trinidad & Tobago wants to do something about it. According a media release from Communications minister Jamal Mohammed the Government plans to launch a campaign to sensitise the public to the dangers of using headphones in public places, particularly when leaving vehicles. 

Mohammed said using headphones is more dangerous than using cellphones while driving because headphones create what he called "inattentional blindness".  He explained that users become so absorbed or distracted while listening to music and other material they are unaware of their surroundings and what is happening around them. 

He said this can lead to personal security being compromised or injury as users are unable to hear traffic sounds. 

The minister wants the motoring public to partner with the Government to keep the country's roads safe for all. Last year 189 people's were killed on the roads of Trinidad & Tobago.