Examining the effects of music on visual attention and driving behaviors in male and female adolescents.

Objective: Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are a leading cause of injury-related deaths for youth 16-19 years and males experience significantly more of these events than females. This study examined how in-car listening to their favorite music influences visual attention and risky driving behaviors among males and females 17-19 years of age.

Method: An immersive driving simulator was used to automatically measure a variety of performance indicators and video recordings provided data on attention and one-handed driving. Participants completed two 25-minute drives in which hazards unexpectedly appeared, listening to their playlist of favorite music over the radio during one of these.

Results: For both males and females, visual attention to the road was reduced significantly when driving with music playing. With regard to driving performance, there were no sex differences or effect of music on driving speed and hazard reaction time. For both males and females, steering performance was improved when listening to music. However, music influenced one-handed driving differentially based on sex of the driver. Males, but not females, engaged in more one-handed driving when listening to music, and this was associated with males hitting more hazards.

Conclusion: Generally, driving with music playing poses more risk to male than female teen drivers.