Who hasn’t pulled up to a stoplight and heard music booming from a nearby vehicle? People have their music cranked so loud they can give you a headache. But loud music might also be a driving hazard. When we think of distracted driving, most people imagine cell phones—and cell phones are certainly a leading cause of car accidents. But loud music can also distract motorists, causing them to collide with other vehicles.
Call The Stano Law Firm if you were involved in a car accident. One of our Houston car accident lawyers can meet to discuss what happened and start investigating. If loud music affected a driver’s performance, they were negligent and should pay you compensation.
How Noise Affects Driver Performance
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and our firm takes public safety seriously. We encourage all Houston drivers to commit to driving more safely in 2025. That means putting away phones and other electronic devices. It also means turning down the sound on your radio.
Research over the past decade has shown that loud music can impair a driver’s performance. For example, one study out of Israel found that new drivers who listened to their preferred music made more mistakes behind the wheel than someone driving with no music. They were also more likely to engage in aggressive driving behavior and were more prone to distraction.
A different study out of London showed that subjects needed more time to focus after shifting their gaze away from a loud noise. The reason? Divided attention.
Attention is certainly a limited resource. The more attention focused on listening to a sound (like music), the less attention is available to focus visually on the road and other vehicles. That means a motorist is less likely to see a driver in their way or a stop light up ahead.
Loud noise can also prevent a driver from hearing another driver use the horn. Cars come with horns for a reason: to give a driver notice that you are in a blind spot. When a driver has their music blaring, they won’t be able to hear other drivers tooting the horn.
What to Do after a Crash with a Distracted Driver
Anyone injured in a collision should know they might have a legal claim for compensation. Our objective as Houston car accident lawyers is to find evidence the other motorist is to blame for the crash. That means we prove fault.
Driving while distracted is a type of negligence which will make a driver liable for a collision. Most distractions are within the control of the driver. This is true of cellphones—you don’t have to pick up the phone.
It’s also true of loud music. A driver should turn down the dial so they are not distracted by thumping, pounding bass lines. Anything which causes a driver to divert attention is a public safety hazard.
After a crash, try to:
- Write down what you remember about the driver. Was the music loud? Did the driver exit the car talking on the phone? These details help your attorney build a case for compensation.
- Note anything the driver says. Some drivers will admit to driving while distracted. We might use their words in our settlement negotiations.
- Talk with all witnesses. They can back up your version of events if the other driver disputes your story of what happened. A driver might even deny their music was too loud, but witnesses can confirm your version of events.
- Photograph the cars. These photos won’t show whether the driver was distracted, but they do capture the condition of the vehicles immediately following a collision. These photos can help show which vehicle struck the other.
As always, call the police to report any Houston accident and remember to get medical treatment. You will improve your ability to recover from the accident. These steps also increase your chances of winning any legal claim for compensation.
Reach Out to The Stano Law Firm
If you call 832-777-0390, you can schedule a free consultation with a Houston car accident lawyer at our firm. We can discuss what you remember of the accident, as well as your injuries and the prognosis for recovery. Based on our discussion, we can discuss if you are a good candidate to bring a distracted driving claim for bodily injuries.
Accident victims have many questions, and it’s important to get correct legal advice before hiring a lawyer. You should feel confident in your choice of attorney, and a consultation is a nice way to see if we are a good “fit.” Contact our Houston auto accident attorneys to get started.