Listening to sounds while driving is part of most motorist’s regimen behind the wheel. Especially when you’re driving alone, music can be the only thing that keeps you company.
However, playing music in the car still requires the proper mindset, as well as the proper tech, for the sake of your safety. Upgrade your tech by driving to a shop that offers excellent car stereo installation in Utah. Afterward, read these do’s and don’ts about car music safety.
Do play calming car music.
Research confirms that listening to music reduces cardiovascular stress in drivers who face heavy stressors while on the road, such as traffic during rush hour or even anxiety from inexperience.
This is hardly surprising — music, in general, makes us feel relaxed in moments of pressure. But what counts as relaxing? You could resort to your favorite tunes, or you could listen to songs that are specifically and scientifically designed to reduce your average physiological resting rates.
Don’t mute outside noise.
The only caution you should practice when playing music in the car is to avoid drowning out ambient traffic noises. You also put yourself in potential danger the moment you mute outside noise — a car horn from an incoming vehicle, ambulance siren, or a whistling enforcer telling you to stop.
What’s more, listening to loud music distracts us mentally, too. When we focus on singing along, our attention and alertness to everything else dip, reducing our reaction time by as much as 20%.
Do delegate the AUX cord.
Don’t want to be physically distracted? Assign your shotgun passenger to be your DJ. Hand them the AUX cord or let them connect their Bluetooth device.
This greatly helps in cutting the need to switch songs, especially if you don’t have a touch-free toggle for your device. Plus, you allow your passengers to enjoy their music, too, which is a common courtesy not often observed.
Don’t play fast-paced music.
A different research reveals that listening to fast-paced music, or specifically, songs with 120 beats per minute or higher, are more likely to make you drive faster or make rash calls while on the road. You tend to press down the accelerator a bit harder, or you turn and change lanes more recklessly, all because your emotional reaction is making your heart pump faster.
Do listen to news stations.
For most of us, listening to the radio while driving alone has a therapeutic effect by simulating human communication. We also listen to the radio to be informed of traffic situations ahead of time or listen to important news. If music can be too droning, then switch to radio stations, instead.
While it lessens physical distractions, stay mindful of mental distractions that result from reacting to the DJ’s remarks or arguing with other passengers.
Don’t play high-comp jams.
If you’re listening to music, you might as well do it right by avoiding high-compression songs. Dynamic range compression in digital music is an operation that amplifies the volume of soft sounds while reducing the volume of loud sounds, creating a “highly compressed” audio output.
Any compression — time compression to save time, data compression to squeeze more music — leads to a dampened sound quality. And if it sounds bad, then why listen in the first place?
Stay sane from the many bothers on the road, but also stay safe by being more conscious and responsible for your music choice.
