Every time you get in the car, what’s the first thing that you do? For many people, the first step after turning on the vehicle is to put on the seatbelt and then adjust the radio. With modern technology, this often means pairing a phone or another mobile device and choosing a playlist, but the overall goal is the same. They turn on the music that they want to listen to for the drive.
While most people don’t spend much time thinking about the impact of choosing their music, it’s important to know that it can really alter your ability to drive in a few different ways.
You may drive faster
In some studies, drivers who listened to music that they enjoyed were more likely to drive quickly. This was also found with faster music exceeding 120 BPM.
You may make more mistakes
Drivers who were listening to music also made more mistakes. This often happened when they were allowed to choose the music because they would become involved with singing along or simply listening intently.
You may be distracted
Music can also be a major distraction in the car. As noted above, singing along means you’re not focused on driving, and that can be enough to cause a crash. But distracted drivers also make mistakes like running stop signs or accidentally breaking the speed limit. Your brain can only handle so much information at once, so adding in music can overload it while you drive.
You may avoid the types of music that cause car accidents, but you can’t control what everyone else listens to. If you get injured in a crash caused by another driver, you need to know how to seek compensation.
