If you have been injured in a crash, you have likely spent a lot of time replaying the events in your head. Maybe you wonder if you could have avoided it somehow, or perhaps you picture the moment you realized the other vehicle was heading straight for you.
One thing that could be useful is to try to recall what, if anything, you heard playing through the other vehicle’s speakers.
If, for example, you recall the voice of someone asking “What’s happened? Are you okay?” through their speaker, it likely means the driver was engaged in a hands-free phone call when they crashed into you. That call may have distracted them.
Listening choices can affect driving
Studies have shown that what a driver listens to can often affect how they drive. Faster music can lead people to drive faster and with more aggression. This can result in them taking more risks. Slower music can cause them to slow down and drive more calmly, but it could also cause them to feel drowsy or nod off at the wheel — especially if they are already tired.
If the music is very loud, it can negatively affect concentration and increase reaction time. It can also prevent a driver from hearing others approaching or sounding their horn in warning.
Discussions, such as people have on podcasts and talk shows, can also have an effect. If the conversation is engaging or requires deep concentration to understand, a driver will have less attention left for the road.
Sometimes the path to compensation is clear, but sometimes it requires piecing together lots of little clues to work out why a crash occurred. Learning more about how to build and present a claim is wise if you suffered injuries due to another driver’s negligence or recklessness.