Not everyone has the same taste in music. Some people stick to one genre, be it pop or heavy metal. Others change their listening to suit their mood. Others eschew music for the spoken word.
Everyone is free to listen to what they please when driving, but they should be aware that their choices could affect their driving. Some choices of listening could make a crash more likely.
Overly engrossing listening
Let’s imagine that today, you put on a podcast as you set out on your commute to work. The conversation between the presenter and their guest is fascinating. Before you know it you arrive at work and reluctantly turn it off to enter your workplace. How much attention do you think you paid to the road as you drove? It’s probably a lot less than you think, as your brain cannot focus on two things at once, and if the podcast had you engrossed, that’s where a lot of your attention was directed.
High tempo music
Researchers in one study found that once the beat of the music hit 120 per minute, drivers showed more variation in speed, overtook more and changed lanes more. They were also more distracted than those with lower-tempo music, or no music. All of those things can make crashing more likely.
Overly soporific
“Listen to my voice. Feel your eyelids getting heavier.” That’s standard spiel for a hypnotist trying to send you into a deep sleep but it’s not what you want to be hearing when you are driving. Even without the words, some music can be a little too relaxing to be listening to while driving.
If someone crashes into you, noticing what is coming out of their speakers could give you a clue to the cause of the crash. And that could help you pin the blame on them and claim the compensation you need.
