Install audio receptors inside vehicles to keep track of how loud the driver-audible volume is, and outside to monitor ambient volume, and a decibel limiter on the sound systems to ensure that music cannot be turned up loud enough to prevent the driver from hearing a predetermined minimum safe level of outside noise.
If you try to circumvent the decibel limiter by simply placing a boombox on the back seat, the audio receptors will detect the over-limit volume level and activate an LED on the back of the car to alert authorities that you are being a bad citizen and should be punished.
It's only fair to those who are restricted from listening to music or phone calls with dual earbuds or stereo headsets, or decreasing road or engine noise with earplugs, because it supposedly prevents them from hearing vital road noise.-- 21 Quest, Jul 17 2011 Ceci n'est pas une rant.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 17 2011 Why stop the car?-- pocmloc, Jul 17 2011 I suppose the idea could be simplified by removing the external audio receptors and decibel restrictor, and having the LED just light up if the internal receptors detect an in-vehicle decibel level exceeding the limit.-- 21 Quest, Jul 17 2011 And, to continue a thread from a different post, it makes life difficult for people like me, who own a perefectly legal loud vehicle that is used to serve a useful purpose to the community, i.e. welding repair (in my case).-- Alterother, Jul 17 2011 Then the maximum legal decibel level would be increased for your vehicle, or there could simply be an exemption for such vehicles.-- 21 Quest, Jul 17 2011 The idea is for a law to prevent motorists from hampering their ability to hear outside noises while driving. The invention is an apparatus to enforce the law. Laws are in place already in several locales which make an attempt to do this by outlawing the use of earplugs or dual earbud cellphone/music player headsets because they restrict one's ability to respond to outside stimuli.
That law is easy to enforce because it is easy to see if a driver is wearing headphones, but it is not currently possible to tell if a driver has the built-in sound system playing at an obstructive level.-- 21 Quest, Jul 17 2011 deaf people can drive (aka hearing the environment is not required nor necessary)-- EricNutsch, Jul 18 2011 But clearly they cannot drive as well as people who can hear, OR there would be no point to having laws in place restricting use of earbuds/headsets. If there is a failure to grasp the obvious here, it lies with those lawmakers. The purpose of this idea is merely to extend those restrictions which are already in place to everyone, for the sake of fairness.-- 21 Quest, Jul 18 2011 While I see the need to restrict excess noise in vehicles and I agree that current legislation only targets a few specific noise sources, I can't see how this would help.
Existing legislation is rarely enforced (There are still morons driving with cellphones everywhere).
Those individuals who like to drive around with very loud sound systems in their vehicles would soon come up with a means to get round any kind of restrictor system.-- Twizz, Jul 18 2011 // There are still morons driving with cellphones everywhere //
<pedant>
"There are morons with cellphones everywhere, some of whom are driving".
</pedant>-- 8th of 7, Jul 18 2011 I tried using my cellphone to drive, but couldn't find the windshield wiper switch.-- RayfordSteele, Jul 18 2011 I bet there's an app for that...-- 21 Quest, Sep 11 2011 random, halfbakery