Have you ever been riding with someone in the car, listening to loud music, when they need to find a certain street sign or a house number? They may mention that they can’t see, so they turn the music down. They feel that this helps them see better so that they can find the proper location.
Logically, you may be confused. The music doesn’t actually have any impact on their ability to see, of course, but turning down the volume does seem to help them find the correct address. So what’s really going on here?
A distraction issue
What’s happening is that music is distracting. Your brain is processing all of the information coming from your senses. This not only includes what you can see but also the things that you hear, smell, etc.
Loud music can be distracting to these senses because it forces the brain to put a lot of energy into listening to the song. This reduces the amount of processing power that is left for examining visual information.
It’s not just that it makes it harder for the driver to see. They may miss other important things, like not noticing that traffic is slowing down ahead of them. Because of this, loud music can also have a negative impact on a driver’s reaction times.
Seeking financial compensation
In both of these ways, music can make it more likely that someone will cause a car accident. Even if you listen to music at a reasonable level, you could be injured by another driver. At a time like that, it’s important to know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills and other costs.