It is widely accepted that talking on a hand-held mobile phone may lead to accidents, but other activities conducted in a vehicle may also distract a driver and may have a similar impact. For example, almost every road vehicle contains a radio of some description. Can listening to the radio have an impact on the behaviour of drivers? This pilot study involved a small set of experiments in which football fans were asked to drive down a motorway while listening to a match on the radio. Although the experiment was small, the results obtained suggest that, particularly under certain “high-pressure” situations (for example, an “attack on the goal” or where there is a controversial decision by a referee) there was a very marked impact on the behaviour of the subjects in this study. It is concluded that – where possible – football fans should ask someone else to drive during important matches (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting