Although wearing headphones while driving is not against the law in Missouri, it can certainly be a distraction.
In fact, such is their effect that according to one study published in the Journal of Safety Research, headphones increase the risk of car accident by well over 20%. Factors such as the type of music, volume, driving experience, and the age and health of the motorist can further increase the chances of a crash.
Why exactly is driving with headphones so dangerous?
It is simple science – The music takes away from your ability to focus on the road and can create a distracted driving condition. You may argue that playing a song out loud in your car will do the same thing. Yes, it does, but to a lesser extent.
Headphones offer a more immersive audio experience since the sound waves are delivered directly to your ear drums. Many high-end products offer various EQ settings that provide a personalized acoustic experience adding to the ability of the headphones to engross you completely.
The biggest problem with headphones is their ability to block out external noise. Without the cue of the police/ambulance siren to attract your attention, you may not spot these emergency vehicles in time as they make their way through traffic. Here are a few ways that headphones impact your mental and physical abilities when you are on the road:
- They not only increase reaction time but also hinder spatial awareness.
- The music blaring in your ears will impact both decision-making and your ability to react appropriately and quickly.
- Auditory inputs can overload your cognitive resources, which can reduce your focus and increase the likelihood of catastrophic mistakes.
- Depending on the type and tempo of music played, you could end up feeling drowsy when listening to your favorite track.
- Based on just how much you like a particular song/track, the music could impact you enough to create a sort of sensory deprivation, which could hamper your ability to appropriately gauge increase in speed and even the distance between two vehicles as you approach the car in front of you.
What if you are hurt in a wreck caused by a driver who was wearing headphones?
Getting into a car crash with a motorist who was wearing headphones and may have been distracted can be infuriating and potentially devastating. While surviving a car wreck is extremely common, the damage it causes can radically affect you and your quality of life.
Car crashes result in mental and emotional trauma, significant medical expenses, property damage to your vehicle, and, almost always, the need for a Missouri car accident attorney.
So, if you were injured in such a crash through no fault of your own, you are entitled to compensation for:
- Complete cost of treatment
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of ability to work in the future
- Rehabilitative costs
- Loss of life quality
- Loss of consortium
- Property damage
Every personal injury claim is different. The compensation you can receive can vary significantly based on the extent and severity of your injuries, scope of complete recovery, expected recovery time, loss of earning potential, and the extent of negligence of the at-fault driver.
The experienced attorneys at DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers in Kansas City have handled hundreds of personal injury claims. Contact our Kansas City office today and let us handle the legal issues while you focus on your recovery.