Music in the car: This loud is allowed - fines and points threaten

Created: 08/18/2022, 12:30 p.m

By: Marcus Efler

A good entertainment system is now part of the desired equipment in cars.

But there are legal limits when it comes to volume and operation.

High engine performance, large aluminum rims, sports chassis: these used to be the important characteristics of a car.

But times are changing, a well-functioning smartphone connection, for example via Apple CarPlay, is now more important to many buyers.

And of course a sound system that conveys the streamed music properly: An update of the audio system is now one of the most frequently ordered extras when buying a new car.

But be careful: you shouldn't turn the music up too loud.

Although there are no specific decibel limits for the sound pressure inside the car, the sound must not impair the perception of the environment.

Martinshorns or the honking of other road users must be heard correctly at all times.

Bass Power: Legal as long as outside noise remains audible.

(Iconic image) © imagebroker/Imago

Music in the car: This loud is allowed - fines and points threaten

If this is not guaranteed, it is an administrative offense that costs a fine of ten euros.

But that a heavy metal fan is actually caught by a police patrol is rather the exception anyway.

The matter becomes more concrete when there is a crash: If there is an accident, the loud listener can be held partially to blame.

What might come as a surprise to some: at moderate volume it is even allowed to use headphones.

How high the risk is of no longer being able to hear the traffic around you depends on its design: Closed headphones (“around-ear”) usually allow the least outside noise.

The isolation for in-ear headphones is similarly large.

In this regard, headphones with an open design and half-in-ear models that are loosely hung in the ear cup perform better.

It goes without saying that active noise filters (“noise cancellation”) should be deactivated.

Music in the car: operation via smartphone can be expensive

Separate Bluetooth speakers or portable radios are also not strictly prohibited.

However, a criminal trap lurks when operating the devices, for example via the smartphone: If such devices are picked up or operated while driving (which can even be documented by a speed camera), it is also a violation of the road traffic regulations.

The possible consequences: 100 euros fine and a point in Flensburg.

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If other road users are endangered, the fine increases to 150 euros and two points according to the current catalog of fines.

If this leads to an accident, the fine increases to 200 euros.

Incidentally, the same rules apply to cyclists and motorcyclists as in cars, but not to pedestrians: They can listen to music as loud as they like and also use the corresponding mobile devices.

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Music in the car: The "Bubble" reduces attention

Pedestrians and cyclists in particular are particularly vulnerable in traffic and are even more dependent than drivers on a good perception of their surroundings.

Loud music can drown out approaching vehicles or other hazards.

In addition, the operation of the smartphone distracts from the environment.

Some people also withdraw into themselves when listening to music and then no longer perceive their environment properly: Science calls this psychological phenomenon, which can affect drivers, pedestrians or cyclists, the “auditory bubble effect”.

Above all, an approaching electric car may no longer be perceptible, despite the prescribed warning noise, even with quiet music.