I can yes, I keep my volume turned up just enough to hear over the general background noise of trafifc. I can still hears cars coming up behind me. Someone on here posted they do this, but only use the right earbud, and leave the left out. Good idea that, if my right ear wasn't half def as it is LOL Books are different than music, in that the volume tends to be the same all the time, not up and down like music.