Expert advice: This is why you shouldn’t listen to loud music in the car in winter

Many people listen to music on their regular journeys, for example on the way to work or home. Still according to a study Attention and reaction speed suffer by 70 decibels. This can have more serious consequences, especially in winter, as slippery roads lead to longer braking distances.

Also, with loud music, you no longer hear the rolling noises of the car. But they are good indicators of road conditions, especially in the dark:

• normal and low tire noise: dry road
• deep, loud, irregular sound: wet snow or slush
• almost silent ride: possible indication of ice, since the tires literally “slip”

The same goes for engine speed. Since you’re supposed to drive low in the winter, it’s nice to be able to hear it instead of always looking at the gauges and taking your eyes off the road. This is how you hear if the tires slip when you accelerate.

The solution for safe winter driving is therefore that Turn down the music or turn it off completely.