Do you think the music you listen to while driving affects your safety and that of other drivers or pedestrians on the road?
Could you possibly be more likely to get into an accident when listening to music that raises your heart’s beats per minute?
There are a number of studies out there which claim that music tempo can affect accuracy and reaction time while driving, including this one. Another study dating back to 2019 discovered that driving under stressful conditions, such as driving through dense traffic, was associated with increased variations in heart rate. This sign has been interpreted by researchers to indicate parasympathetic nervous system activity or, in other words, the “fight or flight” response.
The “fight or flight” response is not something you want to be in while driving – you might, if you have to drive away to save your life or, for example, you’re taking part in a motorsport event where every split second counts. But out on public roads, drivers need to be as calm, relaxed, and rational as possible. Listening to music that makes you aggressive or puts you on the edge may induce this response.
Even though a lot needs to be researched, explored, and examined when we talk about listing to music and driving safety, one thing is for sure: driving can be an incredibly demanding task, particularly on busy and narrow roads with lots of safety hazards in close proximity. It requires optimal attention and situational awareness as well as acute mental processing skills. Therefore, minimising distractions should be very important to every driver, and especially novice drivers or those who have just obtained their license.
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Here’s why your heart rate or ‘beats per minute’ matter while driving with music
One thing nearly all researchers and road safety experts can agree on is that the type of music you listen to and especially the volume you set it to while driving, can be distracting, dangerous, and even life threatening in some instances.
While it’s easy to understand and acknowledge that the act of momentarily taking one’s eyes off the road to insert a music CD or change the radio stations can lead to a car accident, it’s important to know that that’s not the only danger.
The latest research reveals that there may be some very real risks to playing music while driving where the actual volume and tempo of your music can affect your driving behaviour. For example, the kind of music you listen to and the volume level you set it to, can cause ‘bad’ driving behaviour: aggressive manoeuvers, traffic violations, speeding, not respecting others’ right of way, or a jump in the frequency of driving inaccuracies and/or miscalculations.
Any of the above situations can lead to some nasty consequences, including heavy fines, legal action, revocation of your driver’s license, and in a worst-case scenario, the loss of lives.
This study explains how music tempo can increase driving risks by competing for the driver’s attention space – that is, the greater number of temporal events a driver must process, the greater the frequency of temporal changes which actually demand larger memory storage in the driver’s brain. This can lead to the driver getting distracted and not utilising his/her full driving capacities and capabilities.
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Is music inherently bad when it comes to beats per minute while driving?
We all understand how certain kinds of music can have an impact on our mood and frame of mind. Everyone enjoys listening to tunes which uplifts their mood and makes them feel energised, excited, or relaxed.
There’s research which indicates that listening to music which you truly enjoy releases oxytocin in the body, which is a “feel good” hormone, giving you the same feeling as when being embraced or hugged by someone.
And, depending on the genre of music you listen to while driving, it can help promote increased focus, safer driving behaviours, more responsible decision-making when meeting with challenges on the road, decreased road rage and aggression, positive mood, and less anxiety associated with driving.
However, the positives highlighted in this research may not apply across the board to every driver. Teenagers, for example, tend to listen to a certain types of music which can actually create a lack of focus and even lead to unsafe driving behaviours. As young drivers are less experienced and less responsible, they also tend to be influenced more by the effects of music, typically enjoying music that is fast and upbeat.
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