Research by British company Privilege Insurance shows motorists who listen to classical, alternative or rock music are less likely to have an accident than drivers who listen to dance or pop music.
Really? Really?!
Oh. Maybe not.
I read the article here. And I dunno … if you are truly listening to something can’t it be distracting no matter the style?
“You can’t possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven’s Seventh and go slow.
-Oscar Levant (trying to talk his way out of a speeding ticket)
I’ve not had the experience of being not able to drive while listening, but I have come very close to it. I usually turn the radio way down when there is any problems in driving – getting on or off the freeway or interstate, driving around town, thick traffic anywhere, etc.
I find a great similarity between performance and driving. In both cases you need to be aware of the actions of everybody around you and to anticipate future events and changes as well as to respond sometimes unexpected events, all the while merging smoothly with those around you. I find listening to the complexities of classical music soothing while the simpler, frequently aggressive forms in pop music run counter to the smooth flow of traffic.
The difference, of course is the penalty for a mistake in traffic is much greater than the penalty for missing a note in ensemble.
I find I don’t really listen to music in my car. It might be playing, but I’m more tuned in to driving. Much of the time I’ve given up with even having it on … I’d rather really listen when I have the time to pay attention!
But yes, Bob, we don’t kill anyone when we miss a note in an ensemble! Whew!