There’s nothing quite like having some background noise while you’re driving. It can help cut through the monotony and make your drive much more enjoyable. Many of us turn up the tunes while driving and have a lot of fun doing so. But, with the popularity of podcasts increasing by the day, many have developed the habit of listening to podcasts while driving instead.
Podcasts tend to require more of your attention to follow along with the topic, which can understandably lead to some people asking, is it safe to listen to podcasts while driving? Let’s find out.
So, is it safe to listen to podcasts while driving?
You might be worried that listening to podcasts while you drive isn’t a safe activity. However, like listening to music, listening to podcasts is generally considered to be a passive activity that leaves plenty of mental capacity for concentrating on driving and your surroundings. Much like speaking to someone in the passenger seat, listening to a podcast shouldn’t negatively impact your driving capabilities overall.
What can impact your listening safety?
However, how safe it is to listen to podcasts can also be impacted by the type of driving environment that you’re in. It has been shown that podcasts can be more distracting when you are in a more overwhelming driving situation, such as a new area or environment or somewhere that has a lot of twists, turns or traffic. In driving situations like this, your attention should be focused entirely on the road.
On the other hand, when you’re in a simpler or less complex environment such as a quiet country road or your neighbourhood, you won’t be so mentally overwhelmed and it will be much safer to listen to a podcast.
Want more info?
Whether you choose to listen to podcasts while you are driving or not, always be sure that you are able to pay attention to the road and your surroundings. Having something entertaining to listen to is great, but you don’t want to become so absorbed in the podcast that you get distracted and get into an accident. If you want more in-depth information about driving safety, head over to our blog (https://www.notmyfault.com.au/news/) for the latest updates. If you’re after a replacement courtesy car or you need more info about courtesy car hire (https://www.notmyfault.com.au/not-at-fault-car-hire/), we can help.