Listening to Songs You Want to Sing Along to Increases Your Chances of Making Mistakes Behind the Wheel
Apparently singing and driving is a bit dangerous. So, crank up WCCQ; but don’t sing along while you’re driving.
Brunel University researchers put participants in driving simulations, and found that listening to music that was loud or had lyrics led to higher levels of emotional arousal, compared to listening to soft, non-lyrical music.
Past studies have found that loud music with lyrics can elevate levels of aggression, and encourage overconfidence, particularly among younger drivers.
Researcher and psychologist Costas Karageorghis says, “The most important thing to consider when listening to music while driving is to ensure you are not mentally overloaded. […] one of the easiest [things to] control is our choice of auditory stimulation, whether it be talk radio, podcasts or music. Through minimizing distractions, motorists are much better able to focus on the road and therefore stand a better chance of identifying potential hazards in time.”
Navigate here, for more: (Daily Mail)
- A new study echos older findings, and says that listening to loud music with lyrics while driving is more distracting than listening to soft music without lyrics while driving
- Researchers say your goal should be to minimize your mental load while driving, so you can dedicate more of your focus to spotting potential hazards in the road
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