New research suggests drivers
who enjoy a sing-a-long while on the road
concentrate more and fall asleep less than
drivers who remain silent behind the wheel. The
study conducted for a British insurance company
found 63 percent of safe drivers—those who had
not been in an accident for four years or
more—said listening to certain types of music
while driving made them feel calmer. About 25
per cent of the respondents said music helped
them concentrate.
Dr. Nicole Dibben, a music
psychologist from the University of Sheffield
said, "Singing while driving stimulates not only
the mind but also the body which in turn
produces heightened alertness and reduced
fatigue." She said music was more effective than
silence, conversation, or talk radio in
achieving an optimal state of alertness. Dibben
added singing might be less distracting than
conversation because drivers remember lyrics to
songs they already know, or because it is easy
to learn the words to music when lyrics are
repeated.
The study found that
slower-paced easy-listening types of music aided
concentration, while overly rousing tunes or
those with complex rhythms may actually divert
attention from the road; lead to more aggressive
behavior, and even to reckless driving behavior.
—Reuters, Safe Driving is
yours for a song, July 19, 2005. Illustration by
Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.
Psalms 30:4 (MSG) "All you
saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him
to his face!"
SINGING
An
article covering newly released medical findings
states that singing “significantly increased
levels of the immune proteins that the body uses
to battle serious illness including cancer.”They
also found that singing “resulted in significant
reductions in stress hormones, such as cortisol,
and increases in cytokines, immune proteins that
boost the body’s ability to fight serious
illness.” —Jim L.
Wilson & Ryan Blackwell
Ephesians
5:19 (CSB) “speaking to one another in
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and
making music with your heart to the Lord,”
SINGING
When Montreal police pulled
Taoufik Moalla over, the man was
surprised to find out the problem was not
his driving. Four police officers
came up to the car and asked if he had been
screaming. Moalla told them he was
not screaming, but admitted that he had been
singing. After checking his
license and registration, police handed
Moalla a $149 ticket for screaming in
public. They told him city bylaws stated
causing disorder by screaming violated
peace and tranquility and was punishable by
a fine up to $2,000. Moalla said he
plans to contest the ticket and added, “I
don’t know if my voice was very bad
and that’s why I got the ticket, but I was
very shocked.”—Jim Wilson and Jim
Sandell
