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16-05-2008, 01:09 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Lancaster, UK
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Loud iPod = getting hit by helicopter
(from globeandmail.com: Death spurs headphone debate)
Quote:
VANCOUVER -- The death of a pedestrian in Cranbrook, B.C., on Tuesday has raised the question of how loud is too loud when it comes to listening to iPods and other personal music players.
Isaiah Otieno, a 23-year-old student, was killed when he was struck and dragged by a helicopter that crashed to the ground as he was walking to the mailbox.
Eyewitnesses reported that Mr. Otieno seemed completely unaware that he was in danger and a friend told reporters that he often listened to music through earbuds (in-ear headphones) with the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up over his head.
Concern over safe use of headphones is growing. Last year, Carl Kruger, a Democratic state senator from New York proposed a bill to ban the use of iPods and other electronic devices while crossing the street.
Though Mr. Kruger's bill was defeated, his position was echoed last fall by the charity Deafness Research UK, which launched a similar campaign to persuade young people to switch off their personal MP3 players while crossing the road.
But Lorienne Jenstad, assistant professor in the school of audiology and speech sciences at the University of British Columbia says that it's too early to draw any conclusions about the degree of risk.
"There are a lot of beliefs and assumptions right now on how dangerous this headphone use is, but currently no data to back them up," Prof. Jenstad said.
"In our own informal tests, we've found that the range of volume used is very wide - from moderate to levels that are potentially able to cut out all background noise," she said.
And if you've got the volume cranked too high, you may be able to tell by the ringing in your ears, said Geordon Hoag, digital music product consultant at Tom Lee Music in Vancouver. "The average downtown street registers at around 60 decibels. A jet plane flying overhead is generally quoted at 120 to 130 decibels. If you are playing your music loud enough to cut out that level of noise, then you have it cranked to a degree that is damaging your hearing."
It may also depend on the type of headphones you are wearing, he added. Though the perception is that in-ear headphones are more isolating than over-the-head headphones, the reverse is actually the case. "The seal that surrounds the ears on a good set of traditional phones shuts out more external noise," Mr. Hoag said.
Still, research on headphone use has focused on hearing loss, for a reason: Other safety issues are "pretty obvious," said Linda Polka, associate professor in the school of communication science and disorders at McGill University. "I see people riding bikes while listening to iPods, and it's horrific. You shouldn't need to educate people about that."
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The evidence is there, guys. If you listen to your iPod too loudly, your chances of getting hit by a helicopter increase.
__________________
iMac G5 (iSight) 20" | iMac C2D 20" | BlackBook C2D 2.2Ghz | iPod 4G 20GB | iPod touch 16GB | iPod touch (2G) 32GB |
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16-05-2008, 01:13 PM
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Yeehaw!
Group: Administrators
Location: St. Albans, Melbourne
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A helicopter crashed onto this guy's house and they're blaming his death on the iPod - err, what about the frigging pilot or the helicopter that crashed?
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16-05-2008, 01:14 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Townsville, Queensland
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Gotta love sensationalism. A bizarre accident occurs and it is the iPods fault. Spare me.
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16-05-2008, 01:22 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Melbourne
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Ironically when the helicopter crash landed onto the guy he was listening to Helicopter by Bloc Party (link to Last.fm).
__________________
My blog: Distractful
I reject my reality and insert the Mythbusters'. |
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16-05-2008, 01:24 PM
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: hopelessly addicted
Group: Regulars
Location: destined for sea-change
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Maybe the pilot was driving his iPod instead of the helicopter.
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16-05-2008, 01:48 PM
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Pixel Peeper
Group: Regulars
Location: Brisbane
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You know, when a helicopter drops out of the sky and lands on you, your time is probably up, iPod or not.
__________________
Successful trades: kingsdesign, chrissara, Leon
Doctor Mario is not a real practitioner, do not allow him to touch your genitals.
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16-05-2008, 01:56 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Australia
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Maybe it was a like the steam roller in Austin Powers...
"Get out of the way" ahhhhh! "Get out of the way" .... 
It was probably his pulled up hood that killed him because it blocked his vision. 
__________________
Macbook Pro C2D 2.2/4GB/250GB
Mac Pro Quad 3Ghz/4GB 8800GT 30"
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16-05-2008, 02:02 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Melbourne
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jerrah
It was probably his pulled up hood that killed him because it blocked his vision. |
I reckon you'd be right about that. Tuned out hearing and limited peripheral vision make for a fatal combination... even if you are only going out to check the mail.
__________________
My blog: Distractful
I reject my reality and insert the Mythbusters'. |
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16-05-2008, 02:16 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Lancaster, UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bart Smastard
I reckon you'd be right about that. Tuned out hearing and limited peripheral vision make for a fatal combination... even if you are only going out to check the mail.
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Somehow I doubt that on the way out to check your mail, the first thing to enter your head is 'are there any crashing helicopters around?'
__________________
iMac G5 (iSight) 20" | iMac C2D 20" | BlackBook C2D 2.2Ghz | iPod 4G 20GB | iPod touch 16GB | iPod touch (2G) 32GB |
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16-05-2008, 02:16 PM
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Seriously
Group: Administrators
Location: Fukuoka, Japan (originally Canberra)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phase
You know, when a helicopter drops out of the sky and lands on you, your time is probably up, iPod or not.
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I couldn't have put it better myself. |
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16-05-2008, 02:18 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Australia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by half goon half god
Somehow I doubt that on the way out to check your mail, the first thing to enter your head is 'are there any crashing helicopters around?'
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It depends on how paranoid you are. This fellow obviously didn't live in an area with swooping magpies.
__________________
Macbook Pro C2D 2.2/4GB/250GB
Mac Pro Quad 3Ghz/4GB 8800GT 30"
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16-05-2008, 03:05 PM
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Smooth Operator
Group: Regulars
Location: 21 Jump Street
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Quote:
Originally Posted by half goon half god
The evidence is there, guys. If you listen to your iPod too loudly, your chances of getting hit by a helicopter increase.
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hypothetically...
if i live under a flight path, and i listen to my ipod to drown out the noise from the planes, does that mean there is more chance that a plane will land on my head?
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16-05-2008, 04:02 PM
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Hmm
Group: Regulars
Location: SA, 5174
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jerrah
It depends on how paranoid you are. This fellow obviously didn't live in an area with swooping magpies.
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Maybe it was nesting season for the helicopter.
__________________
Interesting factoid: 50% of the population have below average intelligence.
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16-05-2008, 04:08 PM
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Regular
Group: Regulars
Location: Sydney
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Just remind everyone of this quote in the article - " A jet plane flying overhead is generally quoted at 120 to 130 decibels.If you are playing your music loud enough to cut out that level of noise, then you have it cranked to a degree that is damaging your hearing."
If I heard a helicopter overhead, that was stressed and in trouble, I'd have my eyes on it and could potentially avoid the "fallout". Hopefully....!
If you've lost one of your senses it can have a fairly major impact.
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Just browsing thanks
...and in closing...
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16-05-2008, 04:09 PM
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Web Developer http://www.petermount.com
Group: Regulars
Location: On the other side and the previous side looks decidedly beige
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Given that Walkmans were around since the 1980s wouldn't they have stats on that sort of thing by now? Surely this concern about having ear plugs/headphones while out and about didn't just start with the iPod. I would've thought "they" would have an idea about what to do by now.
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