Quote Originally Posted by Pascale
It IS possible to rely on your eyes for safety - deaf people do it all the time. People without earbuds in can be riding and not paying any attention either - spacing out in their own little world, worrying about whatever is going on in their lives.

I don't know where you come up with thinking that trail riding is inherently more dangerous than road riding either, that one just totally baffles me.
I've hear the deaf arguement before and I find this to be a bad argument with bad logic for thinking that anyone is safe when using earbuds. A person who is not deaf does not spend 100% of their life accomodating to not hearing. Sure people without earbuds can be spacing out, but people who are not drunk can be bad drivers too - you still should not drink and drive. I feel the same way about the use of headphones - its an additional distraction that you just don't need and you are only fooling yourself if you think you are just as alert with them on. Do you talk on your cell phone and drive too...

As far as trail riding goes - In my experience I find that because of the crowding that one finds on trails with so many people with differing uses and differing abilities you have to be very very alert when you ride on trails. Kids, dogs, joggers, strollers, people who are going too fast on bicycles or riding erratically, street crossings - all of these things mean you have to be extra careful . An accident you might have on the road with a car may be more devestating and dangerous - but the trail poses more of a constant hazard. I know of just as many if not more people (several TE'ers even) who have had accidents resulting in broken bones and other injuries because of colliding with other trail users as I know people who have had incidents with cars.