Music has both positive and negative effects on the human condition. Most drivers listen to music while driving. It makes a long drive seem less boring. Music makes the long wait in traffic easier to bear. But is there a link between what we listen to while driving and the likelihood of getting into an accident? Several independent groups of scientists agree that the connection is pronounced. And today in this article we will talk about how music in the car affects driving. Let’s go!
How Does Music in The Car Affect the Driver and The Accident Rate?
Melody can give a feeling of cheerfulness, relaxation, but can also increase oppressed feelings. According to experts, there are compositions that are accident provocateurs. Background. According to statistics, only 11% of drivers like to drive in silence. The rest give preference to additional sound accompaniment. Both cases have both positives and negatives. And if you are now looking for a new car stereo or if it is time to change it, then go to walkermcguire.com and look at the comparison of different stereo systems. Only here you will learn about the pros and cons of these models!
The pros of a “silent” drive are:
– Focus on one’s own thoughts;
– increased attention to sounds from the outside (sharp braking, or acceleration of a nearby moving car; timely reaction to cars with a special signal).
Cons:
– The monotony is “lulling.” Increases the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Especially important when driving long distances.
The pluses of music presence:
– Even the use of the background mode is a kind of irritant that does not allow you to fall asleep;
– Listening to the news allows you to keep abreast of the latest events;
– audio books. Relevant for busy lovers of literature;
– studying foreign languages. The combination of two cases does not interfere with each other;
– restoration of the state of mind. Favorite music allows you to reduce stress levels.
Cons:
– Inability to react in time to an emergency traffic situation;
– distraction of attention. Forgetting, you can drive under a forbidding sign or traffic signal;
– increased volume dulls the sound signal of special vehicles.
The playlist is compiled by each driver individually, based on their own preferences. Often a person does not even realize that your favorite music can be harmful.
The Impact of Music on The Driver Is Multifaceted
- Loud music reduces reaction time and causes fatigue. The driver’s brain initially experiences excitement, but over time begins to tire dramatically, reacting slowly to the changing traffic situation.
- Quiet music, especially slow music, is relaxing. It’s dangerous on the road. You can just fall asleep and get into an accident with your favorite car.
- Too fast melody makes the driver’s driving style aggressive and even gambling. It provokes increase in speed and performance of risky maneuvers.
Dangerous Music
Survey data (individuals age 22-60) ranked tunes according to several factors:
– loudness. Increased noise background is detrimental to the driver and passengers. Fatigue increases (can be accompanied by a headache), concentration and evaluation of the road situation falls. Small advantage – you can hardly fall asleep to such music;
– melodic compositions. Contribute to a relaxed and distracted attention;
– Disco/dance genre. The accelerated rhythm provokes a subconscious change of speed and driving style. Often drivers do not notice the speed limit;
– heavy rock. Psychologists argue that such music increases aggression on the road, can provoke an accident.
Some Surveys
Most drivers on the road like to listen to music. This is the conclusion analysts came to after conducting a survey among drivers and finding out how such entertainment while driving affects fatigue and reaction of a person.
The most part of respondents, 64% said they couldn’t imagine their life without music in the car. Another 14% prefer melodic sounds to news and other talk shows. 11% disagree with the majority and like silence, because noise distracts from the road. 9% listen to audiobooks and 1% listen to foreign language lessons. The remaining percentage alternates between the two.
Although the invention is more than a hundred years old, radios never go out of style. They are most often used (36%) to listen to music in the car. USB sticks are used by 32% of respondents. Less popular are smartphones (11%), CDs (9%), online multimedia services (6%) and SD memory cards (5%). And 1 percent did not choose any one thing. Moreover, be sure to visit the forum where you can discuss various topics such as what music is better to play in the car or learn about the preferences of other drivers. That is, here you will find all the answers to your questions!
Core Questions
But these are not the most important questions. The main task was to find out how music affects the attention of the driver. An overwhelming number of the respondents (33%) feel that music at high volume tires them out quickly and makes them less reactive. Twenty-seven percent had no reaction at all, since music usually sounds in the background. Another 24% expressed the opinion that slow songs are harmful: they relax and distract. But there are those who are against fast-paced tracks (16%). Such compositions provoke to increase the speed.
By the way, the experts recommend not listening to all music while driving. The experts, citing studies of South China University of Technology, advised to abandon the three genres – hard rock, hip-hop and “garage” rock, which flourished in the 60s. They encourage aggressive driving, which can naturally lead to accidents.
Bottom Line
Short trips to music do not have a strong impact on the psyche. It is recommended to choose music carefully when traveling long distances. The many hours of travel itself takes a lot of energy, and it is desirable that the playlist helps the trip, rather than exacerbating the increased stress. The best option is to make a list with alternating musical genres. Changing songs will help maintain your tone.