How Music Affects Drivers:

What Makes You Tick?

Does music affect the way we drive? Does it affect the quality and the way we feel about our driving experiences? In this report, we'll look at various issues involving music and driving and learn what people have to say about the subject.

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Instructions for This Report

Does listening to music while behind the wheel take our attention away from how we're driving and the things going on around us? Mr Sasabe (G7) seems to believe so. For him the consequences of listening to music while driving came in the form of 2 speeding tickets. He believes it was because he was too caught up in the music and wasn't paying attention to how fast he was going. Tami Hashimoto (G7) on the other hand, feels that music makes her driving experiences much more enjoyable, especially in traffic. Listening to music helps Tami feel less anxious and frustrated and increases her tolerance for people who don't always drive in the most safe or courteous manner. Similarly, in an attempt to make the long daily commute to and from school more tolerable for a friend, Wilfred Lee (G7) made a tape of his favorite songs. Wilfred's theory was that when he listened to the tape while stuck in traffic, time would pass more quickly.

Reaction

I think both sides of the debate make valid arguments. Listening to music while driving can make you less aware of what you're doing and what's going on around you. However, many times, music can also make drivers more courteous and tolerant of others because it makes the driving experience more pleasant. I listen to music while driving. It's half the fun of going somewhere. In fact, I like driving alone because it means that I can listen to what I want, however loud I want. Music definitely makes my daily driving routine more enjoyable and my driving record is still clean. If anything, I think the enjoyment I get from listening to music in the car makes me a better driver. I'm more tolerant of other motorists and am rarely bothered by traffic, even when I'm running late.

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There were quite a few people in these postings who were in favor of driving with the radio off. Mr. Sasabe (G7) believes that driving with the radio off makes you feel more calm and relaxed. "It was almost like meditating." Mr. Miyoshi (G7) feels the same way. He thinks that driving in silence makes him a calmer driver and makes it easier for him to control his feelings. Chris Burlem (G7) finds that turning the radio off when he is uptight or agitated, makes it easier for him to relax. He also believes that driving with no music increases his ability to concentrate on what he's doing.

Reaction

One of our assignments in Transpersonal Psychology was to try driving with the radio off so that we could focus all of our attention on the tasks at hand. I didn't really mind it, but at the same time, I didn't really like it either. Like I mentioned earlier, music makes driving more enjoyable for me. Driving in silence didn't make me more irritable or anything, but I found sitting in traffic for half an hour in complete silence very boring; time just seemed to drag on.

My mother on the other hand is more like Chris. Whenever she's frustrated or moody, the music seems to just agitate her more so she just  turns the radio off. I remember sitting in the backseat of the family car, wishing someone would turn it back on. The silence seemed to emphasize the tension in the air more than it relaxed her. Maybe my attitude will change someday and I'll end up doing the same thing in the future, but as of right now, I don't turn the radio off for anything.

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The biggest concern people seem to have with listening to music while driving is the mood factor.  Many people believe that upbeat, fast tempo music can lead people to drive more aggressively. Similarly, listening to music that is more mellow and slow is said to calm and soothe people, which can result in more passive driving. When Mr. Shintani (G7) wants to drive fast, he listens to music with a powerful and fast beat and when he's in an easy-going mood, he chooses to listen to something on the softer side.  He also adds that studies have proven that playing classical music in malls reduces the incidence of violence.  Wilfred Lee (G7) agrees that music has an affect on the way you drive.  Fast, loud music makes you more excited and can cause you to drive faster or more aggressively, while soft tunes relax you so speeding is less likely.  Mary Ford also finds that listening to soft and mellow music while driving makes her a more tolerant motorist.  She feels that mellow music helps reduce tension.

Kristen Evert (G7), however, doesn't think that music is a major influence over the way one drives.  According to her, she usually listens to loud and fast-paced music while driving and still maintains a speed close to the speed limit.  Perhaps, music doesn't affect everyone in the same way.

Reaction

I do agree that music has an affect on the way you feel or the type of mood you're in.  However, I don't think it's as cut and dry as people believe.  I listen to all types of music and usually it's the case that my mood influences what I choose to listen to.  I, like Kristen, stay within the speed limit even when listening to loud and up tempo music.  My mom on the other hand, usually gets irritated more easily when we're listening to anything other than mellow tunes.   

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The final issue people tend to wonder about is the physiological effects of music.  Brian Haimerman reports that the beat and volume of what we are listening to are the two biggest factors; they have a direct effect on our hearts.  This explains why younger people tend to like loud music with a fast beat.  It increases heart rate and blood pressure.  This however, is a "no no" for older people and explains why they like slower, softer tunes. The physiological influence also makes it more clear as to why people report feeling more aggressive while listening to fast, loud music.  

Reaction

While this does explain the contrasting types of music younger and older people tend to enjoy, I wonder what it means when people don't follow this pattern and listen to music that's out of their "age range."  My taste in music includes everything, and I mean everything, so what does that make me?  My dad likes to listen to all different types of music too.  

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Subject: Music - effect on driving and temperament
Author: Mr Devo
Date: 1998/03/25
Newsgroups: aus.cars

I recall having heard anecdotal evidence that seventies and classical
music is the most appropriate to play when driving. I had been
listening to seventies music for several years prior to this snippet of
information, and in my experience, seventies music, especially 1976-1979
disco, some soul and funk, has proven to be the most relaxing. Techno
"drives" me insane. That relentless thumping, racing heart and
adrenalin, ideal for the racecourse, deadly on the public roads.

I think that the enjoyment and relaxation effect that people get from listening to music depends on what they like.  It varies from person to person. The best advice I can give is to find out for yourself how music affects the way you feel.  Experiment and try listening to different genres and compare. You may learn that what one person says is relaxing, makes you want to pull all your hair out and vice versa.

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Shares the details and findings done to determine the effects that listening to music has on our reaction time.  Of the ten subjects that participated, most of them did show that the volume of music had an effect on their reaction times.  Many people ten to think that blasting the radio in the car is harmless but this study gives evidence that as music gets louder it takes longer for people to react to things.

Music Effects on Drivers' Reaction Times  by Susan Strick

The best place to learn about music and driving is through previous reports done by prior generations.  Here are a few that I thought were the most impressive, well done and interesting:

How Music Affects Drivers: Are We Really in Control? by Ike Matsunaga

How Music Affects Drivers: Tuning in on Driving by Cynthia J'Anthony

Music and Driving: Music to Ease Your Mind by Terence Nakamatsu

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Blanchard, B.E. The Effect of Music on Pulse Rate, Blood Pressure and Final Exam Scores of University Students. Journal of School Health, 1979, 49, 470-71.

Anshel, M.H., Marisi, D.Q. Effect of Music and Rhythm on Physical Performance. Research Quarterly, 1978, 42, 109-13.

Wolfe, D. E. Effects of Music Loudness on Task Performance and Self-Report of College-Aged Students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 1983, 31, 191-201.

Arnett, J.Heavy Metal Music and Reckless Behavior among Adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence., 1991, 20,573-92. Wass, Hannelore. Adolescent and destructive Themes in Rock Music. omega: Journal of Death and Dying, v23 n3 pp199-206 1991

Giles, Martha Mead. A Little Music Background Please. Principal, Nov 1991, v 71, p 41-44

Madell, Geoffrey. (1996, January). What Music Teaches about Emotion. Philosophy; The Journal of the Royal Institute, 71, (275) 63.

Russel, Lori A. Comparisons of Cognitive, Music, and Imagery Techniques on Anxiety Reduction with University Students.
Journal of College Student Development, Nov 1992, v 33, p 516-523.

Greenberg, Bradley S.; Wotring, C. Edward. Television Violence and Its Potential for Aggressive Driving Behavior Journal of Broadcasting; 18, 4, 473-480, F 74. 1974

Arnett, J. The Soundtrack of Recklessness: Musical Preferences among Adolescents. Journal of Adolescents Research, 1992, 7, 313-31.

Took, K.J. and Weiss, D.S. The Relationship between Heavy Metal and Rap Music and Adolescent Turmoil: Real or Artifact? Adolescence, 1994, 29, 613-21.

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I tried to be as clear and insightful as possible and share relevant personal experience.  Some of the other reports are either longer or shorter than mine but tend to express the same ideas as mine.  Many people who have done this report agree that you shouldn't try and generalize what works for one person to everyone else.

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While not everyone may agree how listening to music affects one's driving, many would have to conclude that music can influence the way we think, feel, and behave in certain driving conditions. For some, depending on the volume and type of music they listen to, music makes them more tolerable and considerate of other drivers.  For others, music makes them feel more aggressive.  And of course there are those who choose not to listen to the radio at all because they find it easier to concentrate on the road.  We should all take the time and check if we need to change the way we use music in the car so that we can be safe drivers at all times.

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Give yourself a lot of time to do this report; it takes awhile.  The topic of music and driving is a very difficult one on which to find specific information.  The best place to find information on this subject? Past generations.  Take advantage of others' reports.

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