Teenagers who want to drive better should empty their CD changers of 50 cent and DMX, and load them instead with soft rock from Coldplay or Nickelback, according to new research.
Teenage drivers make more mistakes behind the wheel when they listen to their favourite music. according to a new study from Ben-Gurion University. The most serious driving errors are made by male teenage novice drivers listening to aggressive rap or high-energy dance music.
The BGU study placed 85 novice drivers alongside a driving instructor. Each driver undertook six 40-minute trips; two with music of their own choosing; two with background music designed to increase driver safety such as soft rock and two additional trips without any music. Drivers were rated on miscalculation, inaccuracy, aggressiveness, and traffic violations.
The researchers found that when listening to their preferred music, 32 per cent of teenage drivers required a sudden verbal warning, and 20 per cent an assisted braking manoeuvre to prevent a crash. Errors included speeding, tailgating, careless switching between lanes and one-handed driving.
BGU Director of Music Science Research Warren Brodsky explained: “Most drivers worldwide prefer to listen to music in a car and those between ages 16 to 30 choose driving to pop, rock, dance, hip-hop and rap,” Brodsky explains. “Young drivers also tend to play this highly energetic, fast-paced music very loudly — approximately 120 to 130 decibels.”
“Drivers in general are not aware that as they get drawn-in by a song, they move from an extra-personal space involving driving tasks, to a more personal space of active music listening.”
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