Sounds on road safety

Listening to loud rock music while driving could have a negative effect on road safety. This is according to research carried out jointly by IAM RoadSmart and the magazine Auto Express. The research used a sophisticated driving simulator system. A test driver sat in the Base Performance Simulator while tackling a simulation of the Red Bull circuit in Austria. As the person drove, loud rock, classical, pop and hip-hop music was played. The trials included different driving scenarios with control at high spe
May 30, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Listening to loud rock music while driving could have a negative effect on road safety. This is according to research carried out jointly by IAM RoadSmart and the magazine Auto Express.


The research used a sophisticated driving simulator system. A test driver sat in the Base Performance Simulator while tackling a simulation of the Red Bull circuit in Austria. As the person drove, loud rock, classical, pop and hip-hop music was played. The trials included different driving scenarios with control at high speed, fast acceleration and also hard braking to a halt within a set area.

The test subject managed the slowest lap while listening to loud rock music, though the classical music resulted in the person becoming almost too calm at the wheel. Listening to the hip hop music resulted in better lap times, but poor braking performance. The best driving performance was achieved when the person was listening to the pop music.

Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief of Auto Express commented, “Much of the focus around distracted driving is on using a handheld mobile behind the wheel, and rightly so. But Auto Express’s joint research with IAM RoadSmart shows that as well as making a conscious decision to put their phone away when driving, motorists should also think carefully about what music they listen to.

“Volume is the major factor for concentration and has a big effect. I would certainly advise drivers to dial down the noise when making a manoeuvre – and save the thrash metal for later in the day, or night!”

Related Content

  • Slow down for road safety says FIA
    September 19, 2018
    Driving too fast is a leading cause of road fatalities, according to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I. Data from the FIA says that an estimated 40%-50% of people drive over the speed limit while a 5% reduction in average speed could result in a 30% decrease in number of fatal crashes. FIA Region I and its members in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are launching a campaign ‘Slowing Down Saves Lives’ and are urging drivers to respect speed limits. In support of the campaign, FI
    Read More
  • New report suggests older drivers are safe
    December 4, 2012
    A new report by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in the UK suggests that older drivers are as safe as drivers from all other age groups, and perhaps more so. The study shows older drivers have better attitudes to safety, deal with hazards better than young drivers and use experience to increase their safety margins on the road. The report reveals that drivers over 75 react just as quickly as other age groups when a vehicle emerges from a side road or if the car in front brakes suddenly on a rural r
    Read More
  • Paving smarter with LeeBoy equipment
    April 20, 2018
    A highway widening project in the US state of New Hampshire is being assisted by the use of a gravity-fed asphalt paver. The widening work is being carried out as part of an upgrade for a 32km stretch of I-93, which was started eight years ago. The work is being carried out for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) on a section of the highway between Exits 1 and 5 from the Massachusetts Stateline to Manchester, NH. According to NHDOT, the project involves widening I-93 from two lanes in
    Read More
  • TISPOL Conference: autonomous vehicles high on safety agenda
    February 2, 2017
    Safety and autonomous vehicles exercised the minds of some of Europe’s senior police officers at the recent TISPOL European Traffic Police Network Conference in the UK. The European Union looks like missing its target of halving the number of people killed on its roads each year by 2020. Just when European police forces are trying to get back on target, along comes the autonomous vehicle with all its inherent safety issues.
    Read More

Highlighted Content