University College London has published a study which indicates that listening to music while driving causes low level distraction that leads to slower reaction times and a reduced awareness of road conditions around you while driving.
The creator of the study, Dr Ulrich Pomper, admits that in normal driving conditions for normal drivers the impact is low level. However, he says that for the elderly, hearing impaired, or drivers who are tired, stressed, or trying to perform complex navigation tasks, the impact can be significant and dangerous.
Mobile phone use while driving has already been proven to be a leading cause of driver distraction and serious accidents. Could this study be the start of road safety experts pushing to ban music in cars as well, on the grounds that it could lead to driver distraction and cause accidents?
Outline of the study
In the study, scientists measured the brain activity of a group of volunteers while listening to sounds coming from speakers. People listening to music were found to have slower reaction times and higher mental stress when looking away from the source of the audio.
The people behind the study also think the effect could be worse when we are tired or under stress, as well as for people with hearing issues and older people. The researchers, from the University College London (UCL) Ear Institute, found that moving the gaze just a few degrees away from the source of a sound can have a profound effect on brain activity.
They believe this is because our brains expect the direction of our gaze to be aligned with what we hear. While we believe we can listen to sounds attentively without looking towards them, the findings indicate that this isn’t the case.
Everyday listening impact
In the test, the researchers aimed to recreate everyday listening situations, attempting to follow a single sound from a range of competing noises ones, under controlled lab conditions. A group of 19 participants each sat facing three loudspeakers and were told to follow the sounds from one while ignoring the other two.
They were also told to look at either the speaker they were following or one of the others. The researchers found that when people looked away from the loudspeaker they were following, their reaction times were slower than when they were looking at the source of the sound.
The effect was also coupled with increased brain activity, meaning people had to concentrate harder on the tasks when they weren’t looking at the loudspeaker they were listening to. People with hearing problems and older people experienced a greater degree of difficulty with the task.
Distracted driving solutions
According to researchers, listening to music or even talking to someone who is to the side of you or behind you could result in you being distracted while driving. Even navigating in traffic, for example by looking right while you listen to a sat nav system, can result in distraction.
Listening to music, sat nav instructions, or people talking in a car is virtually impossible to police or ban. However, a ban on mobile phone use was once thought virtually impossible to police too. There is currently a major clampdown on people using mobile phones while driving, due to their distracting possibilities and risk of causing accidents.
Scientists at Nissan have recently announced a signal blocker that prevents mobile users being distracted while at the wheel. Aimed at ‘compulsive checkers’ who can’t resist checking their phones, the technology brings a 19th-century solution to a 21st-century problem, using the principle of a “Faraday Cage,” developed over 180 years ago. Nissan has introduced a compartment in the armrest of its cars that not only stores the device but acts as a signal blocker, preventing any WiFi and mobile signals from connecting with the smartphone.
Experts said only a few years ago that mobile phone use in cars would be impossible to enforce; now it’s law. If health and safety campaigners or the Police think that listening to music causes distraction and creates accidents, we could be sitting in silence on Britain’s roads in the future.
What do you think about this UCL research? Do you agree that music can be a source of driver distraction? Do you think the authorities would consider banning music in cars if it was proven to cause accidents? Let us know in the comments below.
What a load of rubbish
The gov could have saved money by just giving there parents a free box of condoms!
We – the taxpayers – pay for this ‘research’ – just let that sink in for a moment and then move on to think how many far more useful ways there are to spend our money.
With a myriad of other research subjects far more beneficial and far reaching in alleviating human suffering and diseases, this ‘research’ as Joseph Johnson has already so rightly said, is an absolute waste of resources in every respect.
As has been said before….. what an utter load of rubbish and a waste of money this research has been!!!! At the end of the day if people are bored whilst driving then they are more likely to lose concentration surely?? Imagine a four hour journey and not being able to listen to music/news/traffic alerts etc or have conversation with passengers? I know it would drive me to sleep for a start !! These boffins need to get a grip and utilise their (expensive) time on more important things. There are too many students leaving university with useless degrees who end up wasting their time on ridiculous research like this !
“The creator of the study, Dr Ulrich Pomper, admits that in normal driving conditions for normal drivers the impact is low level.”
Nothing see here, move on. The article should have ended there.
Most of the time I travel alone in my car, if I wasn’t listening to music I would be far more distracted by thinking about everyday problems in my life. I take it, with all these rules and regulations, the next thing will be that we’re not allowed to talk to passengers in the car when we have them!!!!
Music can be used to create moods, the calmer the environment in the car the safer the journey IMO.
The research highlights that having people in the vehicle can distract a driver. Is the next proposal to ban all passengers from cars?
Why ban passengers. They are not doing anything wrong. Ban the driver!
I have been driving for 12 years, that entire time I have been listening to music while I drive, it helps me concentrate on my driving & keeps me in a good mood even when encountering idiots doing stupid things on the road.
Research seems a bit flawed anyway. Why would you be concentrating on music from a single loudspeaker when in most cars it comes from multiple speakers all around you?
My thinking too. The research getting people to respond to sounds is utterly irrelevant. Personally I find that when I’m tired having music on actually helps me concentrate on driving.
Similarly satnavs are distracting but probably less so than trying to read a map/directions or hunt around for road signs giving the name of the road you need to turn into. Talking to passengers can also be distracting but if they’re giving you directions it’s actually helpful. Talking hands free is no more distracting than talking to a passenger, possibly less so as you’re less tempted to turn and look at them! Holding the device is worse because it ties up one of your hands.
I also disagree with all the talk of banning eating and drinking while driving. Taking a swig of water/coffee, or eating a travel sweet helps keep blood sugar levels up and so boosts concentration. Obviously trying to eat messy food, unwrap stuff etc is not a good idea.
Can the police not just use common sense like most of us (sadly not all) drivers do?
Drivel. I would be lost without music on a journey. My attention wanders as well if there is no music – I know that for a fact too! I guess it won’t be long before someone comes up with research that means we shouldn’t talk to our passenger and they shouldn’t talk to the driver during a journey as it is a distraction…
I have never understood why why the “experts” think that talking on a hand held mobile is any more distracting than talking hands-free, or talking to a passenger, or listening to music. They all take your mind off of the task in hand. i.e. driving.
Friends think I’m odd because I’m happy to drive long distances in silence but, I feel the need to concentrate on the job in hand. Perhaps that is why I don’t have accidents?
I hope I haven’t tempted fate by saying that. LOL.
Another un-enforceable piece of legislation? They should concentrate on using the legislation they have to stop people driving down the middle lanes and using mobile phones, i.e. things they can actually see people are doing.
Having driven for many years averaging over 90000 miles a year, I must agree that the radio can be a distraction, but onthe other hand so can many other things eg. talking to passengers whilst looking at them, kids yelling and screaming, are we there yet? Having an argument with the other half, eating, drinking i’ve seen them all, there are hundreds of distractions whilst driving the trick is to block them out and concentrate and before I get sarky comments I will just add i’ve driven over 1.5 million miles had 2 speeding tickets and one minor accident caused by a third party.
The most distracting thing while driving are passengers especially children. This research does not prove anything and is a complete waste of time but I am sure that the road safety campaigners will use it to restrict drivers even further.
Some companies already do ban delivery drivers from offloading themselves.
Some companies already do ban delivery drivers from offloading themselves.
Before long they will prohibit commercial drivers loading and unloading because it will make them tired and dangerous on the road. !!!!!!!
I always have music on when I am driving as it relaxes me. Also benefits of road problem updates. It is usually fairly quiet and Classic FM, Surely it depends on various factors.
I find passengers distracting,
What about listening to ebooks,surely more distracting or relaxing?
I have been a member of IAM for 50 years and to date have had an excellent record.
This is rubbish! Music doesn’t distract! I don’t know how it could possibly be policed but if we start down this slippery road, it’ll get to a stage where we’re not allowed passengers at all in the car! Then drivers will be crashing through boredom!!!
Offset the fact that music relaxes drivers. Removing the music would make the same drivers more aggressive. ie more dangerous drivers.
Its time these researchers spent their time more productively. What is a bigger issue is people on the roads, and yes I include pedestrians and cyclists using the roads with headphones on. Non of the people can actually hear what is going on around them. The use of headphone use anywhere within 1.8 meters of a road both public and private should be banned and enforced. Now that would improve safety.
In other news, a study was also published that said even reading the results of time-wasting and brain stupefying study’s was about as useful and pointless as a very useless and pointless thing!!
“The creator of the study, Dr Ulrich Pomper, admits that in normal driving conditions for normal drivers the impact is low level. However, he says that for the elderly, hearing impaired, or drivers who are tired, stressed, or trying to perform complex navigation tasks, the impact can be significant and dangerous.”
He needed to conduct a study to work that out????
Utter bollox!!!
Study conducted by people who I DEFINITELY wouldn’t want as my neighbours. Move over, Victor Meldrew.
Never heard such utter BS in all my life.
The biggest distraction in any vehicle is the passengers – especially if they are children.
It all comes down to the driver – If the driver is able to concentrate on the road and other vehicles in the vicinity then there is no issue at all with other distractions in the car – any other distractions in the car. Perhaps they should rethink the entire driving test parameters!!
.What a lot of rubbish, if we let the researchers have their way drivers would be locked in a sound proof box away from passengers, the sound system and possibly even the sat nav!! If they study anything they will claim to prove that banning the ‘distraction’ makes for safer driving !! why not just ban cars and tell us all to use public transport
Not one word about the most distracting and dangerous thing of all when driving and that is smoking. Now that could be banned and could be policed.
Also how about banning passengers so no talking is possible?
Well, it makes sense IF talking on a mobile is a distraction, then so is;
# Having a music on,
# Talking to someone else in the car
# Shouting at children in the back
# Not being a very observant person
# and not concentrating on the task in hand……
Ie, just about anything, some people get bored easily and have ADHD, so none of those should be driving at speed in traffic either
How do you stop people sneezing?
How do you make sure people check their mirrors?
How do you…..there are hundreds……
Generally just changing gear is a distraction……it should be hands free calls i agree, but frankly making excuses for incapable people, saying talking on the phone is anything different from talking in the car is basic nonsense….Health and safety nonsense of the politically correct as always!
As a motor cyclist we are 13 times more likely to be involved in an accident that involves injury and 50 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than car drivers. As a ROSPA Gold standard rider I do not listen to music while riding as I fundamentally believe that it does impair my ability to concentrate and process information that I need to formulate a riding plan when negotiating hazards. This has kept me alive so far and nearly all motorcyclists I know feel the same. You may survive a serious bump as car drivers due to the protective shell of the car. Motor cyclists do not have that luxury. We need to be alert, situationally aware and anticipating potential hazards to make intelligent decisons that maintain control of the machine
Just kill me! Don’t listen to music, don’t talk while your driving, what next! Who pays these idiots to do these studies. Some of these people beggar belief!
Well I, would from my own experience, agree. I always turn down or off the radio if in a complicated traffic or manoeuvring situation.
If the hands free phone rings though, that is far more of a distraction and I think that phones should be disabled by the car automatically not encouraged to connect.
The biggest distraction whilst driving is looking out for potholes, in our poor road’s, you depend as much time looking out gor dangerous ruts / holes in the road, between that and making sure you don’t go over the speed limit by a couple of mph.
The ultimate solution is to make every vehicle an anechoic chamber. Nothing to distract, and die from boredom.
What a load of muppets. Hopefully the tax payer is not contributing to these studies. Perhaps Dr Pomper should study something that really is important or get another job. Perhaps he could devote his time to getting the government to fill in all the pot holes in our roads that create more dangerous situations than listening to the radio. The outragous use of mobile phones is clearly unacceptable and a major cause of accidents but has not been eradicated despite it being law for several years. Smoking in cars with children is now outlawed but the police have little or no chance to uphold this law. How will they be able to confirm you are listening to the radio. As for a device that shuts of the use of a mobile phone I assume that it can still be used in the event of an emergency such as being trapped in the vehicle etc. Health and Safety coupled with crazy scientific studies is reducing this country to a nanny state. Lets ban breathing in cars which should resolve all problems.
Ever lower speed limits enforced by speed cameras leave you seriously distracted by having to keep one eye on the speedometer. If we are to remove all distractions whilst driving, then let’s start by removing all speed cameras.
I agree. In an attempt to avoid being fined for being a few MPH over the limit, by far the biggest distraction that I encounter on our increasingly speed-restricted roads is the speedometer. I don’t have cruise control. It’s all too easy to allow your speed to creep up, and if you’re watching the speedo you can’t be watching the road.
At least when I’m using a satnav it’s nearer to where I should be looking, and, it would appear, rather more accurate.
Guess what? I haven’t been to university and I know that the following distracts drivers and slows reaction times:
1. warning signals on roadsides and above carriage ways
2. police and other emergency vehicles sirens and flashing lights
3. passengers of any discription
4. incontinence
5. low flying aeroplanes
6. illness of any description
7. hitchhikers
8.road accidents
9. animals
So let’s just ban the lot! Who are these university nitwits trying to impress? It’s patently obvious that listening to music or anything else is a distraction. One doesn’t need university education to endorse what is common sense to all and sundry. Let’s just not follow university pointless research into common sense issues.
What is the next step, ban all passengers and make all cars driver only. No music, no talking, boredom will ensue and attention to driving reduced.
When my attention is needed on a situation all conversations cease until the problem is passed. All my passengers are aware that this will happen whenever necessary.
I find reading road signs particularly distracting especially when hidden by trees and other vegetation. My eyes can be off the road for several seconds. Sat Nav enables me to look at the road. Road Atlas and instructions on sun visor are also distracting. Pretty girls (I am male) can also distract. Fortunately advertising hoardings I can manage to ignore much to the chagrin of advertisers.
This was all solved decades if not centuries ago by making horses wear blinkers. If all drivers were blinkered and wore earmuffs perhaps we would not be distracted. It will all be solved when the self driving car comes of age.
Just a thought, when I started driving in the late 1950’s no cars had radios in, then came the “tranny” or transistor radio which we took with us in the car , the BBC tried to force the government to make every car owner pay a license fee for this, it failed of course ,because the law would have become impossible to enforce.Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.
No one is proposing to ban music in the car. It’s just one idiot journalist needed a catchy title.
So then SatNavs will be banned too? -I am all for safe driving but soon we won’t even be allowed to switch the car on!
I think both the commenting and the researchers have missed something here. In my car, with stereo speakers, the sound can be set to appear to come from exactly in front of the driver. There’s even a control called “balance” to allow this. Having said this, I prefer to only have music on in the car when the driving isn’t very stressy. I’m hearing impaired and over the years I have learned to simply “switch off” my hearing when I’m concentrating on another high concentration process – like driving. Hearing takes immense concentration for me and I can almost never hear anything said in the back seat of the car. Even when the driving isn’t too stressful, I seldom hear much more than a tenth of a track as I’m too busy concentrating on my driving.
This research seems to have missed a few things, but otherwise is valid.
Oddly, I find a SatNav to be really quite relaxing most of the time; exceptions being the endless “turn around when possible” on the TomTom when I have decided not to drive down a totally impossible route and trying to find the correct side turning on the Garmin when it decides not to show all the side turnings!
This research is getting a little silly – have they examined how attentive drivers are who have nothing to do in the car – one of the problems with type 3? driverless cars, where the driver is expected to intervene in an emergency, is that the driver is much less prepared than when actually driving, as their attention wanders – they daydream etc. I have found easily the biggest distraction in a car is children – lets ban them from going in cars!
If cars only had one seat (drivers) then yes it could be policable. but as a lot of cars have more than one occupant then this would affect passengers listening too. leading to more talking between car occupants, therfore a bigger distraction to the driver as he takes part in possibly a complex discussion with work mates in the car.
the idea that if a driver is tired it would cause more of a distraction. is utter rubbish. listening to music helps keep you alert on a late night journey. i find eating fruit is also good to keep you alert, but i suppose that will be banned too
Scientists would be better employed researching how little of our attention is on driving because of the absurdly low National speed limits, and how many accidents are caused by the mind drifting off owing to no demands being made of it at 50 / 60 /70 mph.
Impractical. Any mobile device could play in the car. Kids in the rear with their entertainment sounding off.
well it one thing to dostudies in lab, but in the real world of driving, it wouldtotal differant,, time wouldbetter spent in getting tv adds to get to lower level of noise when they come on.
You have to concentrate all the time when driving today There are to many distracting things fitted as standard to all cars today Touchscreens satnavs etc. I have my music playing when driving but only as background music most of the time I am not listing to it Radio programmes can be very distracting if you are concentrating on something when driving
Well they are supposed to be the experts, but having driven for over 40 years, I have found the exact opposite. When driving without the radio or music being played, I found my mind wondering and not concentrating on the road as I then find myself looking around and being fatigued. If I am in traffic travelling at around 50 MPH or less it gets worse and as soon as the music is on then the whole outlook in driving is enhanced. I don’t know if this works for all and I would ban people who sing, look around, tap their steering wheel, as well as those who wear in ear headphones or over ear headphones as they simply are distracted from what is happening around them. However, if the music from whatever source helps people to be more comfortable while driving then it is a good thing, perhaps without this entertainment there may be more angry and frustrated drivers which surely could make driving and the road more dangerous!
The more we distract drivers from the actual task of driving with ever more draconian do’s and don’t’s to worry about, enforced with nazi zeal, the less safe we all become.
There are a reported 2 million uninsured cars on the road amongst 39 million.
That’s more than 1 in 20.
Maybe addressing this might be a better use of everyone’s time and efforts.
From The Telegraph yesterday;
“Each year 160 people are killed and 23,000 are injured by uninsured drivers. Figures from the Motor Insurers’
Bureau (MIB) show that uninsured drivers are five times more likely to be involved in road collisions, to fail to comply with road traffic requirements and to be engaged in other criminal activity.”
I don’t believe listening to music reduces concentration, but I do believe VISUAL SATNAV screens distract drivers. I use mine on sounds only.
I don’t think it should be banned but I do think that the volume that some have it set to should be addressed because those are the dangerous ones I was Sat in traffic once three cars back from on young lad and his music was so loud I couldn’t hear anything in my car you could see people getting angry with him
More journalistic/Science BS why would you be looking at a speaker when your eyes would be on the road?
If look elsewhere would be mirrors/dashboard.
Having the radio/music on! well there are times i have it on other times dives me up the wall with inane banter on going on so off it goes.
likes wise with phone i can talk to someone and drive safely can split my attention appropriately between matters then if something is going on on road around me i prioritise it giving that utmost.
Part of being a driver is being able to deal with all matters and has someone that was a professional driver doing often 5 thousand km’s a week or more you have to learn what/where/how to deal with things part of what sets us a part from Never go anywhere well johnny who never progresses from passing there test level of skill driving.
As we have to not only look out for ‘Johnny’ but also avoid there mistakes on the road along with drivers hours/licencing/loading/paperwork and navigating along with the ‘how long you going to be fore at A why can’t you get to B quicker C wants there gear last week then find B is late loading you so C is late and you can’t back to Z docks to meet the ship! while all the time working out how long/how many hours/breaks you have/need&to fit in with rest of day inc a spread over.
All the while you have ‘johnny’ doing there best to get under the truck at every opportunity! along with middle lane dildo from the i’m so fast i live in the one lane from outside lane the whole time so there by hindering the progress of every other road user!
so sometimes some music/chat makes it a more pleasant day!
Also how about Deaf people they can’t hear anything so how do they get on then?
some cars are pretty sound proof my friends big BMW was double glazed didn’t hear much at all in that.
one of the other things that never enters there tiny minds is if you can’t have the radio on or speak to anyone like say phone is on hands free and could be needing a call or they urgently need you like say a delivery could be changed/route altered your driving& waiting on details or family issues like say someone in hospital etc
Well all the time your mind is going to be focussed on that subject thinking/wondering if/how/why/when and not on the road so much where as if someone needs you you can easily deal with it/them your mind is freer to take in more road matters.
The brain needs a certain amount of stimulus to keep it active as with me and many professional drivers even when a passenger the brain is doing 90 mph.
where as if lazing along @ 20mph or 40 on a clear road your reactions slow down twice as much.
20mph should only be in essential places like around schools not everywhere.
As for one when driving lorry i like M bike away/gone so them going fast is good where as 20mph you have them cyclists and ‘Johnny’ under your wheels.
where as when im cycling i like them all away so not stuck round me at 20mph as i could easily do well over 20mph
Mind won’t be long before they take us all out of the car as to dangerous to allow anyone in them! as you might be thinking something