Photo credit: kweez mcG
My car radio has been broken for quite a while now. If I am being honest it never really worked in the first place, which is one of the drawbacks to buying an antiquated vehicle I guess.
For a while we tried putting on some music from our phones but they can’t go up loud enough to hear clearly in the car and I was at risk of picking up a severely strained ear, if such a medical condition actually exists. This means that recently I got to wondering whether driving in silence is better than having sound all around you.
Notice Your Surroundings More
I think that some sort of music is necessary if you do the daily commute over the same road, especially if you travel alone. This is why I used to listen to the radio when I drove to the same office every day a few years back. Since I started working from home this hasn’t been an issue and I think I now prefer paying attention to my surroundings rather than listening to the weather update or the latest financial doom and gloom.
Talk to the Passengers
Having music on in the car tends to discourage conversation as well, doesn’t it? I can’t deny that this is sometimes a good thing but there are other times when it is better to talk as you drive. Since I started using a radio-less vehicle I have enjoyed more interesting conversations with my passengers.
Drive More Safely?
Now, I can’t say that I have carried out extensive tests on this subject and I can’t claim to have hired a team of pollsters to survey 1000 randomly selected adults across the UK.
However, I have a hunch that driving without the radio on is safer than switching it on (or fitting one which works, in my case). I find the driving beats of my favourite rock songs make me drive a little bit faster when I listen to them. When I drive without music it is me – rather than Jimi Hendrix or Neil Young – who dictates the speed.
Why don’t you drive with the radio off one day and let me know how it goes for you?