How Music Affects Drivers:

Cruise Control or Lose Control?

 

***Table of Contents***

 

 

My Reactions to:

 

Music and Driving in My Life

Past Generations Reports

ERIC and/or Uncover Searches

Topics on Music and Driving in Textbook

How Do I Compare?

Conclusion

Navigation Table

 

Mr. Sasabe's e-mail post

I got caught speeding twice in my life and both of the times it was because I was listening to the music in my car and did not realize how fast I was going. Maybe it?s all about the "training" that Dr. James has been talking about, but when my favorite music comes out, I just lose myself!

On a different day, I was driving and realized that music was off. It was a bit of a surprise because I was so calm and relaxed that it was almost like I was meditating. So I recommend that you guys sometimes stop listening to the music in your car. It?s really different!

>>>>>>>>>>

I agree with Mr. Sasabe on one point: For me, it is different driving without music as compared to driving with it on. I am more focused on driving conditions and my concentration level is much higher without music. However, I disagree that music was the cause of Mr. Sasabe speeding on the road. Music is not the cause! I feel that he needs to train himself to control his behavior. The music is not an excuse.

>>>>>>>>>>

Mr. Miyoshi's e-mail post

This is also something that I have been thinking about while taking this class. Does rock music make us more aggressive and slow methodical music make us a better driver. It is interesting because rock music makes our hearts beat faster and that might get our adrenaline flowing and made us lose some of our senses. Just a thought for everyone to think about.

I know what Akira is talking about. Once in a while someone turns off the music in my car before I get in and when I realize that it is off it surprises me. I find myself almost in a meditative state when the radio is off. I am more calm and am able to control my feelings more!

I think that this could work both ways. I think that if you listen to a station that you don?t like but doesn?t show views that you are strongly against or go totally against your values then this will work. If you just don?t like the DJ?s or music then that?s fine. However if you listen to a station that gets you upset and deals with touchy situations or points then you could get more aggressive on the road and other things that drivers do may upset you more. I think I will have to try this before I give a definite answer.

>>>>>>>>>>

Personally, I don?t think that rock music "makes" people more aggressive. First of all, music (once again must be said) is not the cause of anything. Second, rock music has a different affect on everyone. For example, my boyfriend listens to Guns and Roses while he drives, and it relaxes his mind instead of make him "lose control" or drive aggressively. I also don?t think that slow music makes anyone a "better" driver. Sure, I agree that it may have a driver in a very mellow mood, but it may also relax a driver too much to the point where the driver could fall into a daydreaming state of mind. I think it all depends on

>>>>>>>>>>

Mr. Shintani's e-mail post

I really think that music has an effect on the way a person drives. When I want to drive fast I play a CD that has a powerful or past beat. My favorite is the Top Gun sound track. If I want to relax while driving I would put in a mellow CD like Kalapana or some type of soft rock. I don?t listen to rap so I don?t know the effects of listening to this type of music. I really think that some music causes bad driving behavior than others. I can see people being more aggressive after listening to heavy metal than to classical music. It has been proven in studies that playing of classical music in malls helps to reduce the amount of violence in metal than to classical music. It has been proven in studies that playing of classical music in malls helps to reduce the amount to violence in these malls. I do this in two ways of mellowing or relaxing people and by staying away from a certain section of the community that causes a lot of the crimes.

>>>>>>>>>>

I don?t agree with Mr. Shintani on his view that music affects the way he drives. He made it evident to me that even before he puts music on in his car, he already has the intent on driving fast. He seems to be just using music as an excuse to reinforce it. The same goes with his intention to drive slow. I notice that a lot of people use music as a scapegoat. He made a few very good statements with research to back them up, but it doesn?t justify his own driving behavior.

>>>>>>>>>>

Brian Haimerman's e-mail post (Web visitor, November 1997)

I want to thank Dr. James & Mr. Shintani for the feedback. At this time I am taking a History of Rock and Roll class and am learning of the effect that rock music has in our psyche. We are basically talking about how we listen to music. The Affective, Cognitive, Psycho-motor, and Transpersonal. It is almost like a psychology class. So far like I said in my last message, music does affect our psycho-physical. The loudness and the beat play the biggest part. It has a direct effect on our hearts. Notice why younger people like loud beating music. It is because it causes our heart beats to go faster and our blood pressure to rise. For us it is enjoyable, but for older people it is a big no no! The more I learn, the more I?ll tell you about it!

>>>>>>>>>>

Yes, I agree that loudness and beat have a significant role in how it affects a driver?s behavior. In certain situations, if music is too loud I tend to become irate and distracted. It just depends on a person?s state of mind, I think. However, I feel that although fast-beating music causes our hearts to beat faster, I believe that a person is able to control his/her behavior. It all comes down to self-control and self-regulation, like I?ve mentioned a few times in my report.

>>>>>>>>>>

Kristen Evert's e-mail post

After reading the little excerpt about music and driving behavior I really started to think about myself and my own driving. If all of this is right, I should technically be a VERY aggressive, speeding maniac on the road, because when I drive I like my music loud and usually fast-paced and "singable" (meaning I can sing along). Although I am no Ms. Perfection, I am more often times getting passed than doing the passing, as I usually try to stay no more than 10 mph over the speed limit.

On the other hand, however, I could see how slow sappy music could make me sleepy, even if I like the song. Hmmm?

>>>>>>>>>>

For some people, I can see how slow music might make them sleepy while driving. Like I said before, time of day and state of mind at the time play significant roles in how it affects a person?s behavior. I normally listen to slow music, and rarely do I ever feel sleepy at the wheel because it is the type of music that I normally like listening to anyway.

>>>>>>>>>>

Mary Ford's e-mail post (Web visitor, November 1997)

After reading your site, I?ve realized that I?ve become much more aggressive in my personality as I?ve gotten older. Is this a normal phenomena? By more aggressive, I mean I speak up and assert myself; and in the car ?well I?ve never got a ticket, but I do admit, I swear ?not good. I was aware of my tension in the car, so for several years now, I?ve used a melodious tape to mellow myself out when I?m driving ?Rain Melody, beautiful flute music, Ghandharva Veda music (supposed to bring harmony into the atmosphere). It seems to work for me.

>>>>>>>>>>

I think Mary?s strategy is a good one. I?m glad that it works for her because what might work for some people doesn?t necessarily work for others. I give her credit for trying to find a way to deal with her aggressive personality. It takes a lot for a person with aggressive characteristics to acknowledge the problem and actually do something about it.

>>>>>>>>>>

Tami Hashimoto's e-mail post

I just wanted to respond to Marshall?s message on how music affects my driving. When I?m driving, music makes me relaxed and calm. I feel that when I?m driving in traffic the music that I listen to helps me to feel less anxious and frustrated. I?m able to tolerate more unsafe drivers by letting them get ahead of me. Music is an awesome way to relax when I?m driving.

>>>>>>>>>>

Overall, I agree with Tami. Listening to music relaxes me, especially when it comes down to tolerating others on the road. People have their own preferences as to what type of music soothes them. I don?t personally think that only slow music relaxes a driver. Sometimes even fast-paced music has the same affect on others. Everyone have their own preferences. Music has always been an individual thing, I believe.

>>>>>>>>>>

Cris Burlem's e-mail post

I have been in the drivers frustration seat many a time as many of us have. My solution to claming down is actually the opposite. I find that by turning off the radio I am able to relax when I am in an uptight mood to begin with. I find that turning off the radio helps me concentrate on the road and what is going on. It is at these times that I think music actually irritates me?!?

>>>>>>>>>>

I must admit that at certain times (very rarely) I must have the radio off. If I?m caught in heavy traffic, and especially if I?m driving a stick-shift, either the music has to be really low or off so I can concentrate on my driving and on my surroundings.

>>>>>>>>>>

Wilfred Lee's e-mail post

I definitely agree that music has a role in how you drive. Fast music, and loud music, makes you more excited, and makes your heart pump faster. In turn, making you drive faster. Slow music relaxes you and you get more mellow. If you don?t believe it, then ever tried driving really fast with classical music. It just doesn?t work. Maybe the solution is to make everyone listen to classical music. I did hear an interesting fact, babies in the womb become calm children when mothers listen to classical music. Maybe classical music is our solution????

I?m a townie so I consider myself fortunate. I live in Kahala so I drive for 5 minutes and get to school. I often ask my friend that has to drive from Pearl City to get to school by 8 how he does it. He just says he has to deal with it and has accepted it as part of his life. What I did to try to alleviate his road rage is make a tape of his favorite songs. My theory is when he listens to his favorite songs, then he doesn?t notice the traffic as much, and time passes by more quickly. I sing (sometimes) in the car. That makes the time fly by faster. I also enjoy it and it takes my mind off the congested road. Could this be a possible solution for the commuters to school?

>>>>>>>>>>

In regards to Wilfred?s second question, I do believe that that is a great solution! In fact, that?s what I do, myself. I make a compilation of my favorite songs on one tape so that I don?t have to distract myself by constantly changing tapes, which is dangerous to do just as much as smoking while driving. I never smoke while driving anywhere because I want all of my attention to be on driving. I can?t be bothered with doing too many things all at one time when it is not necessary.

>>>>>>>>>>

 

Music and Driving in My Life

When I was a child, I recall always having music playing in the car everywhere I went. My mom used to have many different types of music that she liked listening to, including Oldies, Hawaiian Music, and mellow music (love songs) that they play on 96.3. My mom always had the radio on at a low volume, and I don?t recall her every singing along. However, I recall seeing her tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. Even at home, music has been a big part of my life. Growing up I always had music playing in the background while I was cleaning the house, and it helped make the experience much more pleasant. The same goes with driving when I got my license at age 16. Prior to getting my license, my mom made me practice driving without music on so that I wouldn?t get distracted. After I finally got my license, I had to have music on when I drove. Not only did music make driving more pleasurable, but it was just a natural reaction to either turn the radio on or pop a cassette in. However, it was a different situation in regards to volume when I drove an automatic as compared to driving a standard. When I drove my car (which was automatic), I could have the music up loud, but when I drove my dad?s truck (which was standard), I had to keep the volume down low so I could hear the engine. Listening to music always relaxed me. I used to listen to a lot of R&B music and Reggae because it used to always have me in a mellow mood, and that?s the state of mind I like to be when I drive. The same goes for the present, as well. Until this day, when I drive I have to have music on, and volume control is still a factor. I?ve been in a car that didn?t have a stereo system, and I didn?t like it because it was just too quiet. I admit that not having music on made me concentrate more on the road, but the trip wasn?t pleasant at all. In essence, music plays an important part in my life as a driver.

 

Past Generations Reports

Synthia Lopez?s Report: I was impressed with Synthia?s report. It was very informative and well organized. She made some very interesting points in her paper. She mentions that, "It [attributing bad driving to some types of music] is an amusing assumption because it shows how people love to use scapegoat excuses for violence and aggression. It makes me visualize a person blaming her/his tendency to hit a child on the background music playing in the house. It is the abuser doing the hitting and the bad driver doing the bad driving. The individual should always be in control of her/his behavior." I agree with her on that point. I don?t think that there is a cause and effect relationship here. I feel that it is all a matter of self-control, which is an individual factor.

Dawn Stone-Webb?s Report: She brought up an interesting question: "Does it really make a difference if the radio is on or off while driving?" Many students have focused on how music has an effect while driving, but it is important to acknowledge that for some, not having music on has a different effect as well. I know for me it does.

Chris Flores? Report: I liked his report because he elaborated on the many different ways drivers communicate with each other through personal observation. I thought it was fairly accurate observations, and at the end of his report he made good recommendations on how to communicate on the road.

Terence Nakamatsu?s Report: He brought to light another factor that I feel is important, which is music volume. He stated that "?listening to music at loud volumes can be very hazardous while driving". I agree with him on this point. I feel that the louder the music is, the more distracted a driver MAY become. Of course, there is no valid proof of that. It is just a point I agree on because of personal experience.

Thaddeus Oba?s Report: I particularly agreed with his views on music and driving through his experiences. He mentions that "[He] found that music didn?t play a large role in terms of [his] performance as a driver, but it did on [his] emotions". I agree that everyone has their own music preferences, and that its affect is an individual issue. People have their own preferences as to the type of music that relaxes them and/or makes them "lose control".

 

ERIC and/or UNCOVER Searches

I found it rather difficult finding information that dealt directly with both music and driving. However, a few students from the past generation were able to find some references. Terence Nakamatsu and Dawn Stone-Webb were successful in finding some interesting topics for his report.

 

Topics on Music and Driving in Textbook

In Beyond Traffic Safety by J. Peter Rothe, he talks a little about gender and driving in Chapter 6: "Becoming a Driver and Ex-Driver". In the first part of the chapter he focuses on teenager and what it means to them to get their licenses, and the last part of the chapter focuses on senior citizens/elderly drivers: how losing their licenses affect them and change their lives.

For students, getting a license signifies "adulthood" for both boys and girls. And it also gives them a sense of "freedom" from their parents. They no longer have to "burden" their parents to take them places. Also, they feel with a license they are able to participate in a wider variety of activities than non-drivers of their age group. A license enables them to get jobs, socialize, and go out on dates.

For elderly people, they feel that they still have a right to drive until they experience serious health problems. They feel that it should be their decision as to whether they should stop driving. Elderly people don?t like taking city buses and/or taxi cabs. One reason being that it is too expensive and too inconvenient.

 

How Do I Compare?

Jason Thompson?s report was interesting. I thought it was informative and he has very good commentary, and he completed the assignment on time. I was confused about certain due dates, so my report is actually about three weeks late. That was my fault. On a good note, I look forward to reading my other classmates? reports in the future upon completion.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, it was interesting learning how others feel towards the topic of music and driving. Many of these people have enlightened me and have brought up many interesting ideas and opinions that I?ve either agreed with or totally disagreed with. However, I feel that further research can and needs to be done.

 

Navigation Table