Here's why music and driving go hand in hand

A new study led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers suggests that driving is "absolutely impossible" without music. The study was recently published in the journal Psychomusicology - Music, Mind, and Brain.

"To young drivers 18-29, music in the car isn't just entertainment, it's part of their autosphere whether they're alone or not," said Prof. Warren Brodsky, director of the BGU Music Science Lab in the Department of the Arts.

"They are so used to constant stimulation and absorbing great amounts of information throughout the day, that they don't question how the type of tunes they play might affect concentration, induce aggressive behavior, or cause them to miscalculate risky situations," added Brodsky.

According to the study published, 140 young adults responded to a 67-item questionnaire about how critical music is while driving a car. About 80% of the respondents claimed that it was not just "difficult," but sometimes "near impossible" to concentrate on traffic without music playing. The respondents also claimed that most of them tend to wait in their car at their destination until the song ends.

"As the fastest growing research university in Israel, BGU provides studies that give us great insight into the causes and effects of human behavior," said Doug Seserman, chief executive officer, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

"These young drivers believe that more stimulus actually helps their driving abilities," Brodsky said. "This could become more of an issue in the future, when it becomes critical to disengage from music and assume control in an autonomous vehicle."

(With inputs from ANI)