Distracted driving has become one of the top causes of auto accidents, with so many people on cell phones today who either talk or send texts behind the wheel. Using the phone in the car, getting involved in conversations with passengers, eating, grooming and even having a pet in the car with you have all been demonstrated to be risky behaviors that can increase your accident risk.
Now, however, one study suggests that there may be some good news when it comes to distracted driving: listening to music in the car might be OK. In fact, one recent study indicated that listening to music might even improve your reaction time under some circumstances. Our lawyers know that every driver is different in terms of what takes his focus off the roads. Still, the new study suggests that you might be safe to at least listen to your favorite tunes while you travel.
Music May Not be a Dangerous Distraction
The new study that assessed the impact of music on driving ability was conducted by Dutch researchers and reported on by US News & World Report. The study involved 47 students between the ages of 19 and 25. The students in the study had, on average, more than two-and-a-half years of driving experience.
The study participants were asked to create a playlist to listen to while they drove. The playlist was supposed to contain music that the drivers were familiar with and that they enjoyed listening to. The drivers then completed a simulated driving course several times while they were listening to the music at various volumes. They took the course with the music off, with the music at intermediate volumes, and with the music turned up loud. The drivers were not able to adjust the volume of the music as they were driving the course, which took about half an hour to complete. The simulated driving experience mimicked normal driving on a road with two-way traffic, much like the type of driving people might do on their way to work.
The participants were closely monitored as they drove the course and questioned about their experiences. The outcome of the study showed that the music did not have an adverse impact on their ability to drive or focus. In fact, the opposite may have been true. Drivers who had the music on were faster at responding to what the car in front was doing than drivers who did not have the music playing.
Distracted Driving
