Being well-read is undoubtedly a laudable achievement – after all, readers are leaders. The more you read, the more you know; the more you know, the more power you have. However, many of us are too pressed for time to pick up a physical book and read; this is where audiobooks come in.
Audiobooks give us a good and convenient opportunity to tackle our reading list, as you can listen anywhere. Audiobooks have helped many of us, but is it safe to play them while you are behind the wheel? Or is listening to audiobooks just another potential accident-causing distraction?
Audiobooks While Driving: the Pros and Cons
We know that any form of mobile use while driving risks the driver’s and passersby’s safety. ABC Radio interviewed Paul Roberts, Deputy Director of the National Road Safety Partnership Program, who provided a professional assessment of the distraction risk associated with listening to audiobooks while driving.
According to the Deputy Director, drivers should be cautious about listening to audiobooks while driving, especially in urban areas. Drivers listening to audiobooks risk being distracted, slowing their reaction times in traffic.
On the other hand, listening to audiobooks while driving helps one stay awake; it engages the cognitive function to keep a driver alert and active. Drivers often suffer from “passive fatigue,” where drivers are not tired but under-engaged. In this situation, they feel sleepy and perform poorly. Listening to audiobooks can mitigate this.
Listening to audiobooks while driving can make a driver react to hazards more slowly, especially in complex environments. A study of professional truck drivers showed that drivers stayed alert while answering trivia questions. However, it also showed that this consumed too much of their attention and caused decrements in driving performance.
Listening to Audiobooks Constitutes a Distraction on the Road
Distracted driving is one of the major causes of accidents; it is a hazard of epidemic proportions. In 2015, according to the NHTSA, motorist distraction caused 391,000 injuries and 3,477 deaths. Yet, more than six hundred thousand people are guilty of using electronic devices while driving daily.
“The people in the car with you, other drivers, and pedestrians bear the brunt of this action. If you are distracted while you are behind the wheel, it will be harder to respond to hazards. Meanwhile, if you pose a danger to another person, you will be too distracted to notice your actions and correct yourself,” says injury lawyer Russell Berkowitz.
What Does This Mean?
Audiobooks, while driving, do have their benefits, but they also have their downsides. Moreover, there is a lot of variation in how each driver handles distraction – where one can handle it well, another cannot. Therefore, even if you can handle listening to a thriller and driving safely, your fellow motorist may be unable to.
Therefore, the fact stands that distraction impacts a motorist’s driving performance. Doing something like searching for a specific chapter of an audiobook impacts driving performance even more.
Conclusion
You alone can decide how much distraction you can handle while driving. Common sense can help dictate when you should and should not listen to audiobooks. For instance, you should turn off your audiobook if driving in a bustling environment or difficult traffic conditions.
