Buckleupamerica.org - Studies Show That IPod Use While Driving is Dangerous

We are all familiar by now with the danger of cell phone use while driving. But how many of us know that studies show degraded driver performance caused by portable music players like the IPod? A computer scientist at Drexel University, Dario Salvucci, has shown that IPod usage significantly affected drivers' attention to lane-centered steering, speed constancy, and car-following velocity. These results are troubling, but not really all that surprising. Any behavior that distracts a driver's attention from the road is bound to increase the likelihood of an accident.

The use of music devices while driving should not be underestimated. Prof. Salvucci's study ascertained that 20% of young drivers (ages 18 - 24) listen to programmed music players while driving. Extrapolated over the entire country, this means that literally millions of drivers may be using music players at any point in time. Unfortunately, other studies show that younger drivers are the most apt to not buckle up. To make matter worse, music player use and unbuckled driving may have a compounding negative effect on each other in term of accident occurrence and severity of injury. It seems that feelings of invincibility run strong in many young drivers, but bodies are much harder to repair than devices. Perhaps cars should come equipped with a sticker that reads: "IPod Repair is Easy - Body Repair is Hard!"

If you are going to use your IPod while driving, prudence dictates that you observe the following precautions:

1. Don't try to actively control song selection while driving. Let the music player proceed on its own. Picking out songs while driving is inherently distracting and thus dangerous.
2. Pay attention to your intra-lane position if you are fiddling with your music player while driving. It is easy to veer left or right when distracted.
3. Many drivers slow down when distracted. This may not seem dangerous, but actually it is, because without brake-lights alerting following drivers to your deceleration, you increase the chance of being rear-ended.
4. Don't tailgate, especially when manipulating your IPod.
5. Don't even thinking about watching music videos while driving. You are just asking for trouble. Prof. Salvucci's study showed the biggest variations in travel speed were due to video distraction.
6. Always wear your seatbelts.

In sum, IPod manipulation is not recommended when driving. If you let your IPod just play back without attempting to sequence the content, then its use is no more dangerous than listening to the radio. Treat your IPod like a radio when driving, and both you and it are less likely to suffer damage. And always buckle up!