Driving Music

Is it just me, or are you too affected by your choice of music while driving?

The radio/cd player is an integral part of the safety features of your car. It is there not just to entertain you, but more importantly to avoid the driver falling asleep through boredom. It is as much a part of the safety features as a good set of tyres, and it should be used with common sense.

Especially when engaging on long drives it should be employed for its prime use. The problem arises in the choice of music to listen to, and this is where the human factor comes in, and is as variable as the weather. The objective is to stop yourself falling asleep, so your choice of artist is completely up to the individual.

My favourite group are The Toasters, a popular Ska Band of very long standing. Their music is so good and so pumped up that it is impossible to fall asleep. The problem is that they are such high energy that I find my foot pressing the accelerator too much. I actually drive faster than I would without their influence. The opposite occurs when listening to music with a calming effect. On a long journey that is actually dangerous.

The best choice for me is a disc with various artists presenting a wide variety of songs. If I start to get going too fast another selection with a more calming effect will bring me back to my senses. My Volvo sound system is very good, and some songs just beg to be blasted as they are so powerful. This is a mistake to do in a moving vehicle because with the windows rolled up you will not be able to hear any road sounds. Naturally, we need to hear sirens and other warning sounds.

This may be considered as a cautionary tale to be careful when mixing driving with music. The worst case would be to collide with another vehicle and your music just keeps on pumping.

Copyright (c) 2009 Eugene Carmichael