Do you turn the music on almost every time that you get in the car? That is the norm for many drivers in the United States, and many people can’t imagine driving without some sort of entertainment – music, an audiobook, a podcast, etc.
But the reality is that the music someone chooses to listen to can have a serious impact on how they drive. It may even make them more likely to get into a motor vehicle accident. Let’s take a quick look at how it works and why it happens.
Fast music, aggressive driving
One thing that researchers found is that faster music tends to lead to more aggressive and even reckless driving. The tempo of the music pushes the driver to take more risks or break the speed limit. They may not even realize that they’re doing it at the time.
Some types of music, such as soft jazz or classical music, may not have the same impact on the driver. These can be calming and are less likely to lead to aggressive driving. They may just help the driver relax which could be helpful if they are having a stressful commute.
But the trade-off here is that music is still a distraction. The driver may just think that they are fighting boredom during their commute, but listening to music is also distracting them from the sounds around them on the road. If they’re singing along or paying attention to the lyrics, they may be cognitively distracted – similarly to daydreaming – so that they don’t properly recognize hazards or traffic signals.
In both of these ways, music can cause car accidents. Those who have suffered injuries need to know what legal options they have.