Music can expose the driver to accidents

Dozens various driving tests show that drivers who listen to music control their driving speed a little less than usual.

This is what an assistant professor researching urban risks and resilience, i.e. recovery from stress, at the University of Melbourne in Australia writes Milad Haghani on The Conversation online service.

The effect of music on driving has been studied in driving simulators. In them, test subjects drive in an environment that imitates real road conditions.

The researchers only change one thing: the music playing in the background. Then they monitor the test subject’s driving, especially when the music changes. In this way, the driver’s reaction has been monitored, such as how he stays in the lane, brakes or reacts when a collision threatens.

Speed ​​control is not the only thing music has been found to affect. According to Haghan, those who listen to music in the car also judge distances slightly worse than those who drive in a quiet car.

Music can change a driver’s heart rate. It can also affect how busy the driver feels.

Music on the other hand, can also help tired drivers. With the help of music, they wake up if the drive is long and monotonous.

However, the boost brought by music to driving fades. According to research, it takes about 15–25 minutes, writes Haghani.

The volume of the music also affects driving. However, the effects are subtle. The effects of volume have been found in experiments to be small, but in the same direction.

Loud music usually increases driving speed a bit. Quiet music, on the other hand, lowers driving speed.

Quickly music sometimes has a bad reputation. However, the evidence of its effects on driving is not clear.

For novice drivers, a fast pace can increase the load and weaken the ability to detect hazards.

The music seems to affect the inexperienced driver more anyway.

In one experiment, the driving habits of 20–28 year olds were monitored. When happy songs were played to them, the young person was more likely to speed.

For experienced drivers, the driving experience is like a buffer that blocks the effects of the music.

Others selected or otherwise forced music impairs driving.

The consequence, at least in driving simulators, is that the driver crashes more often than usual and commits more driving violations.

For most people, familiar songs, calm music and moderate sound volume are suitable for driving.

If you are just learning how to drive, you can try how driving changes in demanding conditions if you reduce the volume of the sound. According to Haghan, it’s also worth trying to see how driving changes if you drive without background music.