A bill to let motorcyclists wear earplugs while driving has been sent to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature after clearing the legislature.
Up to now, motorcyclists have not been allowed to wear earplugs. Republican state Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) says the reasoning was that drivers need to be able to hear emergency sirens and other important sounds.
But he says scientific evidence doesn’t support that.
“The decibels at which a motorcycle operates and the wind blowing past your ears primarily operate, those often times can cause some severe hearing damage to people," McColley says.
The bill would allow motorcyclists to wear hearing protection but would prohibit them from playing music or other noise through the earbuds. The legislation easily passed with strong bipartisan support.
