When you turn on music in the car, you probably just pick something that you like. Maybe it’s something that you emotionally connect with at that moment, based on how you’re feeling. Maybe it’s just a favorite song that you’d like to hear while you drive.
What you may not think about is the speed at which that music is played. This is measured in beats per minute, or BPM. Does it matter whether you choose faster or slower music?
Fast music leads to mistakes
The issue, as you may have guessed, is that faster music tends to lead to driving mistakes. In some cases, this means that people simply drive too fast, unintentionally matching the speed of the vehicle with the speed of the song. It can also mean that they make other mistakes like aggressively passing, tailgating or other types of reckless driving.
Researchers have found that it’s best for drivers to listen to music that does not exceed 120 BPM. This is why they often don’t see the same sort of negative impacts from people listening to classical music or slow jazz. They find more issues when people are listening to fast rock or pop music.
Any music be a distraction to the driver. At any speed, the driver may be distracted, especially if it’s a song that they like– in other words, exactly the type of music you are most likely to choose.
If you’ve been hit by a driver who was driving too quickly or making other mistakes because of the music they were listening to (or for any reason), you may be able to seek financial compensation for your injuries.