Recent Study Reveals How Music Can Greatly Affect Driving

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Playing music while behind the wheel is a great way to avoid boredom. As it is, what you listen on your car stereo sets your mood while driving, which would then translate into how you approach the traffic situation on the road and how you perform efficiently while doing so.

In fact, it is believed that the type of music a driver listens to can either make him or her either a safe or dangerous driver, and rightfully so. A new research study recently reported by the Daily Mail claimed that listening to recording artists who are under the easy listening genre were far safer to listen to. Additionally, drivers who listen to music that is noisy and upbeat are influenced to practice dangerous driving maneuvers while on the road.

The study was conducted with the help of eight participants (four males, four females). They were asked to drive about 500 miles, with the first half without music and the other with music. While the experiment made use of different music genres, it very much showed that these affected the way they drove their vehicles.

According to the study, any song that is fast in terms of beats and tempo can cause drivers to speed up on the road without them even knowing it. Also, songs that drivers don’t like tend to become distracted and stressed, which could negatively impact their driving.

Take classical music, for example. While the genre is known for its calm and serene movements, the experiment showed otherwise. One female and one male driver from the experiment uncomfortably drove their vehicles while listening to the music genre more than when they didn’t listen to any music.

Moreover, the study also showed that the ideal music for driving is any artist whose songs possess a 60 to 80 beats-per-minute (bpm) average. Certain artists such as Norah Jones (“Come Away with Me”), Coldplay (“The Scientist”), and Radiohead (“Karma Police”) are among those who are safest to listen with while driving.

Incidentally, legal experts, including a Santa Monica personal injury attorney, believe that while listening to specific tunes would influence safe driving, it would still be dangerous if played too loud. As it is, loud music causes distractions while behind the wheel, therefore increasing the chances of an accident.

Some of the Important California Traffic Laws That You Should Know

From 1990 to 2009, only four US states have maintained a recorded amount of more than a thousand deaths caused by road accidents. These States are, from the highest to the lowest; California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

The reason why California records the highest number of road-related accidents among all US states is because of high traffic volume that are situated in key cities such as Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Because of this, the state strongly imposes certain traffic laws that help decrease the ever growing number of deaths, injuries and property damages caused by single, dual, and multiple vehicle collisions.

Here are some of the important traffic laws being implemented all throughout California:

·         Mandatory seat belt law

Every driver and passenger must be restrained by seat belts and/or safety seats. However, those with medical ailments are not required to wear seatbelts unless a notice from the physician is provided.

·         Laws related to the use of safety helmets

Motorcycle users aged 18 and above are required to wear a safety helmet when driving. A safety helmet must meet the standards of the Department of Transportation and other driver safety institutions. Minors and children who use bicycles, roller skates, non-motor scooters, and skateboards are also required to use helmets suitable for the use of the aforementioned vehicles.

·         Laws regarding the use of mobile phones while inside the vehicle

Drivers must always use hands-free equipment when receiving a call or trying to call someone using the mobile phone while driving. The year 2009 saw the implementation of a text messaging law, wherein reading, writing or typing down a text message using text-based communication is prohibited. This applies to all drivers, licensed or not.

Injuries and fatalities in road-related accidents cannot be avoided. However, trying to ease the ever-growing statistics must always start with the compliance of every driver and passenger to these important California laws. For more information about other related traffic laws, it would be helpful to contact a vehicle accident lawyer based in the California area.