Loud music causes crashes according to...
Loud music causes crashes according to...
Author
Discussion

mannginger

Original Poster:

10,049 posts

279 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
A Canadian study...

Drivers warned against loud music


Music with an up-tempo beat may be the most dangerous for drivers
Listening to loud music while driving can seriously hamper reaction times and cause accidents, new research suggests.
A Canadian study found people took up to 20% longer to perform physical and mental tasks to loud music.

If motorists were delayed that long at the wheel they could suffer a fatal crash, warned the RAC Foundation.

Edmund King of the RAC Foundation said the study showed that "not only is loud music a nuisance to others, it could also be the cause of accidents".

Earlier research by the RAC Foundation, a British motoring organisation, found drivers were twice as likely to skip a red light while listening to music.

In the Canadian study volunteers carried out tasks while listening to levels of noise varying from 53 decibels (equivalent to an office environment) to 95 decibels (equivalent to an oil rig).

It doesn't matter if you listen to opera, classical or rave - it's the speed of the beat that counts

Conrad King, psychologist

Researchers found reactions to be significantly decreased at higher noise levels for both physical and mental work.

At 95 decibels reaction times to tasks that involve decision making plummeted by 20%.

Edmund King, the RAC Foundation's executive director, said: "The findings of the Canadian study are bad news for decibel-loving drivers, as they prove that not only is loud music a nuisance to others, it could also be the cause of accidents on the roads."

Drivers are at even greater risk if they listen to music with a pounding beat rather than more relaxed tunes, according to experts.

Conrad King, consultant psychologist to the foundation, said: "It is important that drivers choose their music carefully when driving, as up-tempo music has been shown to cause drivers to have double the amount of accidents as those listening to slower music.

"In general, if music is above 60 beats per minute, listeners experience a faster heart rate and increased blood pressure.

"It doesn't matter if you listen to opera, classical or the latest rave music. It's the speed of the beat that counts."

'Walk instead'

Radio 1's Will Kinder said: "Here at the Chris Moyles show our listeners' safety and wellbeing are second only to ratings; more accidents means fewer listeners.

"We suggest that if drivers feel they are at risk from a lack of concentration due to loud, pounding music, they walk instead.

"Not only will this ensure their safety but also give them valuable exercise."

Taken from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3623237.stm

Phil


DanBoy

4,899 posts

265 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
I can see how that might be true.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

292 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
...people who cant do two things at once?

Le TVR

3,097 posts

273 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
mannginger said:

"Here at the Chris Moyles show our listeners' safety and wellbeing are second only to ratings..."




Not sure he should have said that

Neil_H

15,407 posts

273 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
A Canadian study... said:
"It doesn't matter if you listen to opera, classical or the latest rave music. It's the speed of the beat that counts."


I can see them handing out fines for 'speeding music' now, "Slow that hard house down, you're going to kill someone!!! "

>> Edited by Neil_H on Wednesday 14th April 12:08

ultimasimon

9,646 posts

280 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
I feel sorry for the 170bpm hardcore fans

DanBoy

4,899 posts

265 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
Actually, on properly reading that, there are a few flaws...

Still, I know that certain types of music do have an effect on my state of mind and therefore probably my driving aswell.

TheLemming

4,319 posts

287 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
This would explain why I'm banned from playing "Born Slippy" while I have passengers in a car....

alfa145uk

351 posts

262 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
So will this lead to a ban on Japanese industrial techno ?!!! (Square waves do wonders for speakers!)

DanBoy

4,899 posts

265 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
ultimasimon said:
I feel sorry for the 170bpm hardcore fans


I used to listen to a fair bit of that, but if you really wanna be bad to the bone try listening to some Gabba. I couldn't hack more than about 30 seconds of it.

Xm5eR

5,094 posts

270 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
Canadian researchers today made the amazing discovery that if you try hard enough you can fit a small number of people into the same box.

" We were amazed, all we needed to do was to massage the test in such a way that it appeared to give us the results we needed"

A British Government spokesman was heared muttering "oh shit we've been rumbled" earlier today

Plotloss

67,280 posts

292 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
DanBoy said:

ultimasimon said:
I feel sorry for the 170bpm hardcore fans



I used to listen to a fair bit of that, but if you really wanna be bad to the bone try listening to some Gabba. I couldn't hack more than about 30 seconds of it.


Thats because its shit.

Dutch nose bleeder music. Popular with the Hitler Youth I am led to believe.

mr_tony

6,340 posts

291 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
Hmmm well anything over 60bpm, well thats just about everything except new age whalesong tapes.

e.g. Bach keyboard music - a usually in the allegro region around 130bpm. Ode to joy - usually around 120bpm.

Techno - average around 130-140bpm (though yes some is faster)

Drum and bass / hardcore etc 160 + (though you could claim that D+B has a 'half time' feel a lot of the time, so would actually have the smallest impace on heart rate giving a suggested bpm of actually nearer 80-90

Looks like it's Dub Reggae for drivetimeradio from now on then .

juk

580 posts

273 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
There was something on R4 about this this morning, Ride of the Valkyries is to be avoided at all costs, apparently.

Mr E

22,681 posts

281 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
Le TVR said:

mannginger said:

"Here at the Chris Moyles show our listeners' safety and wellbeing are second only to ratings..."





Not sure he should have said that


But I'm glad he did. Laughed my arse off.

Balmoral Green

42,554 posts

270 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
juk said:
There was something on R4 about this this morning, Ride of the Valkyries is to be avoided at all costs, apparently.


It does it for me at full volume in the Bentley. Would like to try it naked in a big old Mercedes with an SS officers cap on too.

mad kasia

106 posts

265 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
I don't know if it's a cause of some crashes, but definitely, when listening to a loud music, I tend to drive faster

chris_w

2,568 posts

281 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
My one and only accident happened whilst listening to a Live track called 'Lightning Crashes'.

Oh the irony....

wrinkly

755 posts

268 months

Wednesday 14th April 2004
quotequote all
Balmoral Green said:


It does it for me at full volume in the Bentley. Would like to try it naked in a big old Mercedes with an SS officers cap on too.


Can we PLEASE have pictures?