I ride with my ipod 90% of the time when I am solo and 0% when in a group. I have been hit by cars twice in my life and neither time I was using the ipod. Cars are generally traveling 20+mph faster than I am so whether I hear them or not is going to make little difference> The key is to be attentive regardless, people can phase out and not pay attention to what they are doing whether they are listening to music or not.