Drowsiness While Driving May Be Influenced By Music

The Danger Of Drowsy Drivers

According to the National Safety Council, 1 in 25 adult drivers has fallen asleep while driving, while far more admit to driving while feeling sleepy. Study data also confirms that driving after 20 hours without sleep is equivalent to driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08% – the U.S. legal driving limit. Ultimately, the drowsier the driver, the worse their reaction times, awareness of hazards, and ability to focus. 

Additionally, a 2024 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimated that 17.6% of all fatal crashes between 2017 and 2021 involved a drowsy driver. There’s also the matter of drowsy drivers succumbing to bouts of ‘micro sleep’. If a fatigued driver is travelling at highway speed and slips from a drowsy state into a 4- or 5-second period of micro-sleep, the vehicle will travel the full length of a football field. Since the driver is not in control of the vehicle during this spell, the chances of a serious accident dramatically increase.

The aforementioned measures of driver impairment are unlikely to be referenced as part of any post-crash reports, yet all are key drowsy driving factors. And with an estimated 6,400 people dying every year in crashes involving drowsy drivers (according to the National Sleep Foundation), this study considers yet another underreported factor that can seriously affect a driver’s alertness and worsen their sleepiness at the wheel – in-car music.

Before we look into the details regarding the effect of music on fatigued drivers, let’s first consider some key drowsy driving data.

Drowsy Driving: Key Data

In many cases, the data suggests, drowsy driving represents a ‘hidden’ killer, a factor that may not necessarily be directly attributable due to a lack of verifiable information.

The NHTSA also estimates fatigue-related crashes that result in injury or death cost the American taxpayer $109 billion every year (a figure that doesn’t include associated property damage).

Drowsy driving involves much more than a tired person getting behind the wheel: it represents a conscious choice by a fatigue-impaired driver to potentially endanger other drivers, pedestrians, and themselves. And it’s an avoidable hazard: nobody should drive unless they’ve enjoyed an optimum amount of restful sleep (7-8 hours, according to multiple sources). And 2023 National Library of Medicine data suggests that any less than 6 hours of prior sleep doubles a driver’s chances of a fatigue-related crash.

Adults Who Drive While Drowsy

According to a National Sleep Foundation report, over 60% of U.S. adults admit to driving while drowsy; for parents, the figure often exceeds 70%. Of canvassed parents, more than 1 in 5 (21%) said they’d driven while drowsy at least once during the previous month.

Here’s a closer look at the percentages of parents who admit to driving while drowsy, with the number subject to a gradual increase as their children get older.

Parents Who’ve Driven While Drowsy With Children

Overall, more than 7 in 10 parents with multiple children admit to driving while drowsy, with 8 in 10 parents of children aged between 14 and 17 also admitting to driving while overtired. For parents of just one child, the figure is 64%; for non-parents, 56% of drivers admit to driving while drowsy. 

Adults and Teens Who Drive Drowsy: and Why

And teen drivers are also guilty of a significant amount of drowsy driving: one in sixteen drivers (16%) admits to having done so. That’s around 1.7 million teen drivers across the country. Additionally, over 400,000 say they drive drowsy at least once per week, with 300,000 suggesting they drive in a drowsy state at least once per month.

Drivers usually drive for a good reason, and many do so while trying to fit the journey into a busy schedule. Here are some of the reasons drivers (adults and teens) have given for getting behind the wheel, even when they felt tired. Perhaps unsurprisingly, work and school obligations are the main factors.

As part of a survey involving 1500 respondents, drivers were asked what they considered to be the most effective way to combat drowsiness while at the wheel. Here’s a breakdown of which options proved most popular.

Of the 1 in 5 annual traffic deaths attributable to driver drowsiness, study data found that young and male drivers were far more likely than old or female drivers to doze off at the wheel. Drowsy driving was also found to be far more of an issue among binge alcohol drinkers and drivers who rarely use their seatbelts, while additional data suggests drowsy driving may be more prevalent among drivers who also engage in risky driving behavior.

As things stand, of all U.S. states, just New Jersey and Arkansas feature specific legislation that classifies drowsy driving as a criminal offense. But there are numerous good reasons for this, as NHTSA data suggests. For one thing, a drowsy driver (unlike one under the influence of alcohol or drugs) cannot be tested to establish sleep deprivation. This makes enforcement extremely difficult and also means that standalone statutes are difficult to establish as applicable.

Rather than introduce another statute, most states rely on existing, broad legal statutes, such as careless and reckless driving, when it’s necessary to prosecute drivers who were involved in an accident while fatigued. Generally, legislators often define falling asleep at the wheel as negligence.

There’s also limited data available to establish the effectiveness of drowsy driving laws, with many states unconvinced regarding their necessity. And, there’s a wide perception that drowsy driving is underreported, with insufficient data, meaning policy momentum is often sluggish.

Songs That Are Great (And Not So Great) For Driver Fatigue

One key, significant factor that can make drivers more (or less) drowsy is the music they play while they drive. Simply put, the tempo of the music a driver listens to can significantly influence their mood, responsiveness, speed, and drowsiness. And for drivers, it’s very much a case of getting the balance right.

Research from Bond University has confirmed that fast-tempo songs reduce driver fatigue; yet fast-tempo songs also lower a driver’s focus and have been linked to riskier driving behaviors.

Meanwhile, slow-tempo songs increase a driver’s attention and focus on the road and decrease their anxiety levels. However, they also increase driver fatigue (especially after a long period of time spent listening to this kind of music while driving).

And in-car music is extremely popular in the U.S. Music is played in U.S. vehicles during 72% of drives, with previous studies suggesting that listening to music boosts a person’s mood, working memory, and ability to process data.

Here’s a brief summary of distinctive types of music tempo and the associated effects of each.

• Below 80 beats per minute (BPM) (Slow tempo) 
  • At this speed, music can help drivers spot danger and reduce anxiety, but may lead to or exacerbate drowsiness or over-calmness on long drives, worsening attention levels.
• Between 85 and 110 BPM (Medium tempo)
  • Considered a ‘sweet spot’ for long-distance driving, music of this type can improve a driver’s level of alertness and reduce fatigue without causing overstimulation.
• Above 120 BPM (Fast tempo) 
  • Fast-tempo music keeps drivers alert and can relieve fatigue, but also increases mental strain, causes distraction, and leads to risky driving behavior (like speeding or running lights) and overstimulation.

An additional study claims that high BPM music reduces the effect of fatigue, and also suggests that familiar songs can help to reduce fatigue for minimal periods, long enough to pull the car over into a safe spot and take a nap.

The following songs are all high-tempo (above 120 BPM). So while they may help with fatigue, this is offset by the fact that they also increase the likelihood of risky behavior.

And here are 25 slow-tempo songs, which may be associated with increased drowsiness in fatigued drivers.

Our final list of 25 songs features music that occupies the driver safety zone: neither too fast nor too slow. These songs are just right; they subtly improve driver alertness and lower fatigue without causing overstimulation.

The Dangerous Role of Driver Fatigue

Drowsy driving is a hugely significant issue. Data confirms that driving after a 20-hour period without sleep is equivalent to driving beyond the legal U.S. alcohol driving limit. And though definitive statistics are hard to pin down, multiple sources suggest that 1 in 5 car accidents are in some way due to a fatigued driver. And drowsy driving is not a rare occurrence on our roads. According to data, over 60% of U.S. adults admit to driving while drowsy, while parents admit to doing so 70% of the time, putting not only themselves, pedestrians, and other drivers at risk but also their children.

With only two states (New Jersey and Arkansas) currently featuring specific legislation that classifies drowsy driving as a criminal offense, and many states unconvinced that drowsy driving laws are effective, it’s clear that the issue isn’t currently taken particularly seriously across the U.S.. Unless this changes, drowsy driving will continue to represent a serious and relatively unchecked road safety issue.

National Library of Medicine data suggests that any less than 6 hours of prior sleep doubles a driver’s chances of a fatigue-related crash

For now, the impetus is broadly on drivers to make sure they’re driving while rested and alert. Here are some things you can bear in mind if you want to make sure you avoid driver fatigue.

• Eat some healthy (as opposed to stodgy) food before your drive
• Take energy-boosting vitamins 
• Drink caffeine in moderation (not too much!) 
• Open the window or turn on the air conditioner
• If necessary, pull over and take a power nap: 20 minutes can work wonders.  

The choice of in-car music also has a significant and measurable effect on alertness, reaction times, and driving performance. With 72% of car journeys involving music, getting it right is crucial, particularly for drowsy drivers.

Songs of varying tempos can have a very different effect on fatigued drivers. Fast songs may help drivers keep fatigue at bay, but they have also been linked to risky driving behaviors. Slow songs not only don’t help drowsiness, they may also make it worse. Whereas songs of a particular mid-tempo range can help to improve a driver’s level of alertness and can also reduce fatigue without causing overstimulation. 

A carefully curated in-car playlist featuring suitable driving songs may support approved alertness under the right conditions, particularly during long or late‑night journeys. Ultimately, playing the right music while you drive can be the soundtrack to safety.

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Data Sources

NHTSA

The Zebra

Bond University

The National Library of Medicine

The National Sleep Foundation

AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety