You may be surprised to hear someone say that listening to music in the car increases the odds of an accident. After all, you may listen to music almost every time that you get behind the wheel. It just feels like a part of the driving experience, whether you’re listening to the radio, listening to a CD or simply streaming music over a cellphone.
But it is true that music can have a significant impact on someone’s driving ability, and it could therefore lead to an accident. Let’s look at a few ways that this may happen.
Getting distracted by the device
For one thing, if you’re streaming a playlist or an album on your phone, using the phone is a distraction in itself. Say that you’re searching for a song or trying to switch to a different channel. While doing so, you take your hand off of the wheel and your eyes off of the road, which could cause an accident.
Getting distracted by the music
Even listening to the music itself can be a distraction, especially if you’re singing along. For instance, a car full of teenagers who are all singing along to their favorite playlist is much more likely to be involved in an accident than a lone driver who is operating their vehicle in silence.
Listening to loud music
The volume of the music also plays a role, mostly because it forces your brain to put more processing power into listening to the music. This takes some of your focus off of the road, even if you don’t realize it, so it’s a driving distraction. It makes your reaction times worse, which may mean that you can’t avoid an accident.
Even if you turn the music off and avoid all of these issues, other drivers are still going to cause serious crashes. If you have suffered injuries or lost a loved one, make sure you know what legal options you have.
