Fast vs. Slow Music While Driving 
 
    The majority feels that fast music causes aggressive driving. Music such as heavy metal, rock, and the Top Gun theme were associated with feelings of excitement, a faster heart rate, and rising blood pressure.  I too believe that faster, harder music makes drivers more anxious on the roadways.  This in turn could cause incidents of Road Rage being that those listening to faster music seem to have less patience with other slower drivers. However; this type of music may seem helpful for someone who works the graveyard shift and has had just 2 hours rest prior to working an 8 hour shift.

    Slow music, it seems , tends to calm most of the participants of this email discussion while behind the wheel.  Classical, and slow methodical music such as instrument melodies and natural sounds of rain calm the nerves of the majority of these driver's. It seems that the soothing, soft sounds allow the driver's to disassociate themselves from other more aggressive drivers and traffic congestion. One writer said that slow music could make her sleepy. I agree that slow music does calm a driver thus, they are more willing to let other driver's in at an on ramp, and allow pedestrians to cross at intersections without revving their engines to make them move quicker.  However; I feel that longer drives like from Makapu'u to Wai'anae would cause drivers to daze off and get drowsy when exposed to too much slow music.  I believe slow music tends to put drivers into a trance on longer journey's thus, the higher potential for an accident because the person listening to soft music is not giving their full attention to the roadway and other drivers.
 

Music Off  While Driving 
     Some opinions express feelings of spirituality and meditative states when the music in their cars is off.  Radio disc jockeys seem to annoy some people which makes them more uncomfortable while driving this could then lead to a negative effect on their driving behaviors. Their solution?  Turn the radio off.  Another view is if a person is feeling irritated and uptight that music just adds fuel to the fire thus, the music is usually turned off to prevent tailgating, lane switching and other aggressive driving behaviors.  I believe if the radio is off one has the ability to concentrate more on the actions of driver's in close proximity such as cars darting back and forth between lanes and  people riding the bumper.  I also feel that no music may often cause driver's minds to wander off as well.  Some driver's start to think about the bad day they had at work, the rent that's due and little things like is that bird dudu on my hood.  These distracting thoughts may cause you  to lose attentiveness toward  the car that just braked  10 feet in front of you while your traveling at 45 mph down the freeway.
 
Listening to Favorite Songs
    Wilfred Lee's email message consisted of the idea to eliminate Road Rage with music a person enjoys.  Wilfred made a tape for his friend  commutes from Pearl City to UH Manoa for school.  His theory was that by listening to songs he enjoyed the friend would forget about the pressures of traffic thus, alleviating the tendencies of Road Rage.  Wonderful idea and very helpful friend in my eyes; Although there was no conclusion to this story about whether it worked or not the idea is still very promising.  I know from personal experience that a long, traffic filled commute is much more pleasant when I am not distracted with musical tunes that aggravate me.

My Relationship With Music and Cars 
    As a child music in the car seemed like a comforting way of dealing with an hour long drive.  I would often fall asleep to soft music I liked and I would show facial expressions of digest when my parents played an old relic tune from the sixties.  I remember riding with my Brother-in-law as a child and watching as he would bobb his head back and forth to the blearing rock music from the tape deck, while tapping  both hands on the steering wheel like he was playing the drums or imitating  Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar with his teeth, and  all the while controlling the vehicle with his left knee raised just under the steering wheel (very, very dangerous....but soooo hilarious at the time).
 
    As a high school student, music was one of the priorities in life.  I would listen to Metallica or Faith No More to get me pumped while driving to the beach to surf.  My foot would always get heavier on the accelerator as the waves came into view and my favorite song was blasting out of the speakers in my mother's car.  Reggae tunes like  Bob Marley,  Steel Pulse and Black Uhuru always brought my friends and I home slow and safe from a hard days surfing or football practice.
 
    Now, I enjoy listening  to Hawaiian music when I want to be mellow and take my time to get where I am headed. This music relieves my tension and allows me to deal with idiot drivers and bumper to bumper traffic in an extremely passive way.   However, I listen to  Rap or Alternative music when I am in a hurry to get somewhere; my adrenaline pumps, the music  seems to make me more aware of my driving behaviors.  As for the future, I think the trend speaks for itself.  Fast and hard music when I am in a hurry and slow, soft music when I am not.  Maybe when I'm 60 years old I'll listen to only slow music while driving :).
 
 
 

 
Introduction 
    This section contains links which are associated (as closely as possible) with the subject of music and driving.  Under each link is a summary of the web site, what it has to offer, and in what way it relates to the topic of music and driving.
 
 

My Music  "Joe Wein's detailed description of music and it's relation to him" 

     This site, found on with the use of the Excite search engine, was a section of Joe Wein's home page.  This  was  the  sixth site listed in a search for "driving and music."  This part of Joe's Home page  was labeled "My Favorite Music," much of which was Reggae.  I was immediately attracted to the sites abstract which mentions Joe's love for Reggae music.  I too, enjoy Reggae music and was curious to see how other's perceived the captivating music as well.  This site offered links to other sites including "Bob Marley and The Wailers, Brasilian, and African music.  Joe mentions that he was influenced by older Reggae music of the 70's by artists such as Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs and Burning Spear. He also mentions his new found interest in African and Brasilian music as well.  In the Bob Marley section Joe describes his deep connection with the reggae music. "This music had a magical effect on me. I had never heard anything like it before....Bob Marley and Rastafarian culture have had a lasting effect on me. Bob Marley has never just been music to me but a way of life."

    Like Joe, I  also enjoy Reggae music.  The hypnotizing sound and hidden lyrical messages of promise are an inspiration to me.  I believe this sort of music is perfect for those motorists who have little patience when on the roadways.  Reggae's smooth, "skanking" sound allows one to unwind thus, preventing tension that could cause aggressive driving.  This type of music has the same affect as Classical, Hawaiian

 
Hands on Music Inc.  "Sound Engineered for the driving experience. A New Recording Category for the Auto
Environment."

 
    This web site found with the help of Excite search engine, consists of the new company Hands on Music Inc. approach to create music especially for driving. It seems this company has established an idea to enhance the music quality and sound in the close quarters of the automobile.  They have come up with what they call "A new recording category for the auto environment." Although it is unclear whether the company engineers a variety of music, the example of their first product is a Jazz composition called "Driving Beverly Hills," which may also be purchased on this web page itself.
 

   "DRIVING BEVERLY HILLS is designed to give you the feel of the open road, on a drive from New York to Los
Angeles or just a spin to your local gas station. It's music to make you look with excitement for what's around the
next turn, "says Hands On's Chuck Bennett, who adds that this is the first in a projected series of recordings
specifically for the automotive environment."

 
    I am somewhat confused as to  the details of this companies operations however; I believe they intend to market music mixed by their staff in a specail way (whether it be pop, rock, country or classical) to be of the best quality for the enjoyment on a car stereo system.  If this is so, I believe this would surely enhance the effects of music on driving in a more positive manner.  Hands on Music Inc. could manufacture a sound that may eliminate aggressive driving feelings through their innovative engineering ideas.  By creating a much more enjoyable driving atmosphere which calms the nerves and  brings about a happy emotional state.  Driving may become a whole new positive experience for many of us who dread the thought of the daily commute.
 
 
Radio K Music Forum
 
    The Radio K Music Forum is sort of like a chat area or newsgroup.  The browser is allowed to join a forum where other people have left responses to previous mail listings, asked information about music or just expressed their pleasure with the radio station.  The operation of leaving a message is really simple...one just has to scroll to the bottom of the web page, fill out the form to post a page and that's it.  Later, the message comes up and people reply to you and you can later reply to them and so on.  I think this is a great idea for those people who would like to comment on a song or issue that was brought up on the air when they were on their way to work or something.  One can go into more detailed discussions with other listeners that agree or disagree with one's opinion.

Introduction
    The following are summaries of previous generation's reports with sections containing any reference to music and driving.

Sheldon Tawata's Report on "My Driving Personality Makeover Plan" G2
 
    "The music that I try to avoid is music with heavy, bashing drumming with loud and fast guitar playing...any type of head banging, speed driven, angry heavy metal music is not my music of choice for driving in traffic and probably driving in general." Says Sheldon Tawata as he states the sort of music which does not appeal to him while on the roadway.  However; my personal view is that some of this head banging music keeps my senses alert through the act of making my adrenaline pump.  This I believe, could also contribute in some way in keeping one focused and on the defensive side of driving.   This sense of heightened awareness may prevent me from actually playing a part in an accident. One may be more  likely to be prepared for a dangerous situation( swerving, changing lanes without checking first) caused by another aggressive driver.

   Sheldon Believes, "The music I truly enjoy using when I'm at the wheel is songs from the Jane's Addiction collection, Peter Gabriel's Last Temptation of Christ soundtrack, The Best of the Gypsy Kings and Santana...It somewhat takes me away from the direct realities of the traffic I'm experiencing without totally withdrawing from the actual driving."   Sheldon goes on to mention that he keeps a collection of these various types of music handy in his car so that he may select a track to fit his mood while driving which brings forth better driving behavior qualities.  I like his idea of keeping different music available while driving. One could pop in a tape of Mozart after a stressful day to reduce anxiety in traffic or simply throw in some Sublime when feeling drowsy on a long late night drive.  What a convenient way of dealing with mixed emotions while behind the wheel.
 

Bruce Nakada's Report on "My Driving Personality Makeover Plan" G3
 
    During his driving personality makeover, Bruce has found that the faster alternative music, from a band called Offspring, makes him drive very fast.  And while listening to Hawaiian or Reggae music, Bruce's personality changes to one of complete ease.  He mentions " When I am in this "zone," there is not one thing that could upset me. A driver could be tailgating me or cut me off, but I would not get rattled."  In my report on "The Affect of Music on Drivers,"  it seems that most individuals share the same feelings as Bruce Nakada in that fast music causes one to speed and be aggressive where as slow music makes one calm and accepting of other normally intolerant drivers.
 
Cheryl Andaya's Report on "Managing a Quality Driving Circle: The Effort to Combat Road Rage"

    Cheryl expresses her feeling of fear when her boyfriend isn't paying attention to the road and is singing and talking to her while he drives.  She goes on to explain how this behavior prevents her boyfriend from knowing what's going on around him.  For example, Cheryl explains times she had to tell him to watch out for the upcoming red light.  I can totally identify with her boyfriend's behavior, I too have done the same thing many times (singing or talking to the passenger while behind the wheel). Although it is a very unsafe habit there are times when we as motorists lose perspective of our responsibility to be attentive.
 
 
 

Introduction
 
    The following summaries are from our class text "Challenging the Old Order,"  by J. Peter Rothe and also
class discussions on the affects music has on our abilities as motorists.

Noise 

    In chapter 3 "The Engineering of Safety and the Safety of Engineering" on page 46, The subject is road safety and the topic of noise goes as such.  "Noise is defined as "unwanted sound."  To describe noise, one has to measure the degree to which sound is bearable."  In relation to music and how it might play a negative part in road safety, i believe the issue of loud music being played through modified automobile sound systems some years ago prompted laws which make it illegal to have a car stereo projecting sound farther than 20 feet away form the vehicle (If I recall correctly).  I am almost certain that police can now issue citations to motorists playing their stereos too loud which causes "noise pollution".  i believe this was a necessary step in maintaining peace in traffic because these  "boom boxes"  could be unsafe by causing distractions to other driver's, preventing motorist from hearing  emergency vehicle sirens and prolonged exposure to such loud music could cause deafness.

Mood 

    As mentioned in class by Dr. James, mood change may be caused by the various music one listens to while driving.  I can personally associate with this suggestion.  When listening to  hard rock music I tend to go faster while driving an automobile; the music makes my heart beat faster and influences my physical actions to drive at a higher rate of speed.  I've noticed that the same is true for a lot of my friends that I ride with.  Also, when I hear slower music being played on the radio such as Hawaiian or R&B I tend to take my time and I seem to have more patience with other driver's.  It's as though the slower music has an effect on my emotions causing me to be much more relaxed and passive as I operate a vehicle.

"Rush Hour...Coping With It" 

    In the section "The World of Traffic It's Problems and Pleasures" on page 28, There is a discussion on "rush hour" traffic.  "Everyone wants to avoid, but almost all of us end up in it ...how do we cope with it?"  I believe one way of relieving the stress of rush hour traffic could be through the exposure to music.  Slower Methodical music like Classical or Hawaiian  could be a soothing remedy for the stress brought upon a motorist by traffic congestion.  These types of music keep the motorist from becoming extremely aggressive, short tempered and irritated. The music allows one to drift off spiritually by this I mean it causes a sort of transpersonal experience, one may mentally disconnect from the pressures that are present while in a traffic jam.
 
 
 

Turner, M.L., Fernandez, J.E., and Nelson, K. The effect of music amplitude on the reaction to unexpected visual events. The Journal of General Psychology, Jan 1996, v123, n1, p51 (12).

Ballard, Mary E.,Coates, Steven. The Immediate Effects of Homicidal, Suicidal, and Nonviolent Heavy Metal and Rap Songs on the Moods of College Students. Youth & Society; v27 n2 p148-68 Dec 1995 .

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

Spinney, L. Pump down the volume. (the effect of music on driving) New Scientist, July 19, 1997, v155,
n2091, p22 (1).

Ogata, S. Human EEG responses to classical music and simulated white noise: effects of musical loudness component on consciousness. Perceptual and Motor Skill, June 1995, v80, n3, p770 (12).

Iversen, Janet. The Effect of Music On The Personal Relevance of Lyrics. Psychology: A Journal of Human Behavior,V26 N2-3 P15-22 1989.

    I enjoyed reading Mr. Shintani's report for it was simple with no graphics and straight to the point.  His content was excellent in terms of detail.  On the other hand, I also enjoyed Grace Lumbao's report for the appearance of her paper was livened with colors that caught my attention.  Her background which is layered with a different array of colors is very attractive and surprisingly is not hard on the eyes (in a reading sense that is).  I usually don't like multi-colored backgrounds because late night reading makes it difficult to focus on so many colors.  However, this doesn't happen when I read through Ms. Lumabao's report.
 

    My first suggestion would be to tackle the references of any paper you do first.  These take the longest to find because such little information is listed in ERIC or UNCOVER and a lot of the topics are not related.   For instance, Music and Driving are not listed together but do appear as separate topics in the database.  Secondly, I would search the web for info next.  While it is somewhat easier than the first part suggested it still takes sometime in finding articles which pertain to your report topic.  For example,  if you type in Music and Driving you will notice that most of the information is about car audio system solicitations or other sites that don't even deal with the combination topic but have driving or music in the topic (Musicians looking for band members who are able to play DRIVING bass sounds).  Other than the above mentioned the report is quite interesting and once you get started you will be astonished at how much your personal experience plays a part in the report construction.