Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

However, riding with earphones can encourage people to use their eyes a lot more. Many cyclists are too reliant on their ears to tell them what is happening behind, but this does not give accurate information regarding speed or proximity of the vehicle behind.......

......So using earphones can be a training aid to help encourage cyclists to use their eyes (which are a more reliable sense) than hearing to check what is going on behind. This can help people to adapt their riding style.

Fair enough, though the two things aren't mutually exclusive - I frequently look behind me even though I'm not wearing earphones. Are you saying that you think it's actually better to ride without hearing what's going on around you, or just that, on balance, hearing is not a particularly significant factor in a rider's overall performance?

Does this apply to everyone, or just more 'advanced' riders? (Not sure how to decide who qualifies for this!) I've been cut up tons of times by people wearing headphones who don't appear to have heard my warning shout. (That's not to say that things wouldn't have happened exactly the same way if they weren't wearing headphones!)

Also sound can reflect adding a further confusion - think about standing at a junction and you hear a police siren, often it can be hard to tell which direction it is coming from.

I'm not sure what you mean here. I take your point about potential confusion, but surely your music isn't loud enough to block out sirens? Don't we all have a responsibility to listen out for sirens and take appropriate action?

If music is such a distraction then radios and music should not be allowed in cars either.

You're comparing apples and oranges here. The level of vulnerability is different when driving compared to cycling, as is the level of immersion listening to speakers compared to earphones. (I wouldn't wear earphones when driving either, though I would have the radio on.)