Nowadays, it is more and more frequent to see more and more motorcyclists from all over the world with audio and microphone devices, placed on their helmets, of different brands. They have been shown to increase safety at the wheel when answering a phone call, which is why even in 2021, we may ask ourselves the question of the current legislation when placing intercoms on the motorcycle helmet.
These devices allow you to communicate with other motorists, passengers or simply to connect it to the GPS and receive instructions from any direction. You can also connect it to the mobile phone to be able to receive or make calls to other people. It has a multitude of uses and today it is essential!
A good motorcycle intercom can make the difference between driving your motorcycle isolated from the world or being able to take your motorcycle to an open world with many communication possibilities. But here is the question: Is it legal to wear an electronic device on your helmet?
Wearing an intercom on your helmet is totally legal
Surely you have heard someone comment that wearing a communication device integrated into your helmet is not within the driving law, or you have even ever had any doubt about whether the intercom in your helmet is complying with current law. Do they often ask you if using an intercom integrated into the helmet is legal? The answer is: finally yes! And we will explain why.
To date there is a dangerous loophole in this regard. The law does not contemplate either implicitly or explicitly that an intercom is a legal or illegal element when riding the motorcycle. Hence, there has been a constant cloud of confusion among all motorcyclists. So much so that there are law enforcement officials who see no major inconvenience for motorists to use them and yet others have even fined users of this type of gadget. In short: the intercom was legal depending on the policeman in front of you.
Why was this happening? Because the law is very ambiguous. We are going to explain what the law says in 2021.
Motorcycle Helmet Intercom Law
To understand why there has been so much confusion, let’s have a look to the Law 18.2 of the General Driving Regulations:
“It is forbidden to drive using helmets or headphones connected to sound receivers or reproducers, except during the corresponding teaching and the performance of the aptitude tests in open circuit to obtain the driving license for two-wheeled motorcycles when required by the General Regulations for Drivers. “
In addition, it tells us: “The use of mobile phone devices and any other means of communication system while driving is prohibited, except when the development of communication takes place without using hands or using helmets, headphones or similar instruments”
Therefore, to the question of whether using an intercom on the motorcycle helmet is currently legal, the answer is: Yes and no. Why? Because each paragraph says one thing. So far, we have embraced the second, where it says that what is prohibited is to use headphones that cover the holes in our ears or that we manipulate the mobile phone with our own hands and that at no time will we do it with an approved intercom . Furthermore, the paragraph in which he says “other similar instruments” is very imprecise.
As it is not a type of earphone that covers our ears, but rather a speaker that allows us to listen to the ambient sound at all times, we will not be in breach of current legislation. But they could still fine you using the first paragraph! Fortunately, all of that has been changed starting from 2020.
The New Law
The new law states: «The use of a sound receptor/reproductive device while driving is only punishable if it is done through the use (strictly) of helmets or headphones”. In the case of this appeal, the agent does not say that the appellant was wearing “helmets or headphones”, but rather a “bluetooth device attached to the protective helmet on the outer left side. This use is apparently compatible with the driver’s perception of road sounds.
Therefore, from now on you can take advantage of everything that provide motorcycle intercom devices.
How does your motorcycle intercom have to be legal?
Let us be clear: both the intercom and the helmet must be approved to avoid penalties and, above all, to avoid accidents. Especially, it has to be adapted to your helmet so that it does not give you problems in the future. Also, it has to be cordless with an extensive battery life.
Bluetooth in the intercom is very important, since today it is one of the best technologies to communicate. Very important is that you have a good scope to communicate with your group of bikers and with various connections. And it would be very useful if it could be connected to other mobile devices accepting voice commands, since we must separate our hands from the handlebar as little as possible.
If you use motorcycle intercom systems, we are sure that your experience, comfort and safety when carrying your motorcycle will increase, since you can communicate with anyone with a simple click while driving. your motorcycle is priceless!
