Music on Driving Lessons

As a local driving instructor Nottingham area I am always learning from my pupils. Recently I have had pupils who requested that we keep the radio on at low volume during lessons. This is a new thing among pupils and not something I really thought of before the pupils mentioned it as traditionally this was not a thing. Now when a pupil is nervous I suggest we put the radio on to see how they feel about it. I must say it can lead to more relaxed lessons for the pupil and instructor. Having the radio on is good experience for real life driving after the test when drivers have to deal with a certain amount of distraction without losing concentration on the driving task. It has been quite an eye opener for me. It provides a more informal and friendly atmosphere to driving lessons in Nottingham

It is possible for music to change a person’s mood and demeanour? I certainly think it is. It's the emotional change that makes music enjoyable. The emotional connections we make with songs can have a range of effects from bringing back old memories to getting our hearts racing. It is therefore important to consider how this can impact on the way we drive.
Dr David Ireland who lectures in music psychology at the University of Leeds believes there is a strong relationship between listening to music and concentration levels. This relationship however, is not necessarily a negative one. There can be both positive and negative impacts of listening to music, depending on the characteristics of a given song. Heavy rock music may cause you to drive more aggressively whereas classical music would calm you down.

Driven to distraction

The two key aspects that determine what the impact of what you are listening too will be are the tempo and volume. If volume and tempo are high the music will “influence our arousal levels”. The consequences of this heightened sense of arousal can be erratic and bullish driving.
The potential for music to distract a driver is also important to remember. Research has shown that more energetic music is more distracting to drivers. This can be particularly dangerous when in difficult driving conditions as you may already be at the limits of concentration.
Young drivers have shown to be more susceptible to distraction when their favourite songs begin playing. The study, carried out by Dr Warren Brodsky and researcher Zack Slor stated that:
“As they get drawn-in by a song, they move from an extra-personal space involving driving tasks, to a more personal space of active music listening.”
This particular study found that a staggering 98% of young drivers involved made mistakes while driving and listening to their favourite song.

Easy listening

The news isn’t all bad, and the message here isn’t “don’t listen to music”. Research carried out by Dr Simon Moore at London Metropolitan University found that listening to calmer music can actually aid concentration and potentially make you a better driver. By listening to music that has a tempo that closely matches a human’s heart rate you can avoid the potential distraction music could cause. Songs that have between 60 and 80 beats per minute are considered the safest to listen to while driving so are ideal listening when in your car; take a look at the playlist below for some inspiration.

So there you are. Listening to music during driving lessons can be a good thing. Some pupils enjoy a bit of light jazz and some prefer pop music. Chat radio would be the most distracting I think as you may become engrossed in what is being said than what is happening on the road ahead. So be sensible and enjoy music while you drive.