How much entertainment is there in the car?

“Situations where drivers leave themselves immersed in music or pursue a discussion depend too much on the road,” says Ulrich Killino, a traffic psychologist at Abu Dhabi Airports Company. “In a residential area, driving requires total focus, and on the highway in the flowing traffic, pilots can let their thoughts wander.” On long trips, the challenge is the fact that the driver can find a balance between overloading and overloading. Because both are unfavorable to focus.

It broke through the monotony

In order to break the monotony on the road, many drivers turn on the radio, make phone calls or listen to podcasts. Killino says that intense discussions or conversations about complex topics are less appropriate for driving: “When drivers are actively involved in something other than driving, their awareness of the environment decreases. Then attention is focused elsewhere and it can take longer before the driver mentally returns to the driving position in Critical situations. ” The demand for secondary careers is often interrupted by leadership, so that the frustration can set in.

Thomas Keel, crime writer and club supervisor, sees another problem in social media discussion rooms: “Clubhouse discussion contributions are not fundamentally different from radio contributions, audiobooks, or podcasts.” If you do not actively participate in the discussion, the main difference is the process. Of course, this also applies to Twitter Spaces.

Swipe to the right to speak

The room is specified in the app, of course, as is the case with “raising hands” if you want to have a say in the virtual room. The app must be used for this. “Drivers should therefore set clubs like a radio station before driving,” advises Kiehl. If you no longer just want to listen, but also want to have an opinion in a discussion, you should stop using your smartphone. And when it comes to just listening, the following applies: “If you have a feeling that you do not understand a segment, you should not rewrap your cell phone or overwork your mind, because that disturbs your focus while driving.”

Uwe Linhart, a traffic law attorney, also advises caution when it comes to cell phones in a car: “A driver’s smartphone should not be picked up or carried.” Even the car’s multimedia system, including built-in apps, should only be touched briefly. Ideally, the audio and playback control functions are used, as far as available. The driver is only permitted to use the smartphone or any other equipment when the engine is switched off.

Moderate size

Regardless of what is being heard, the volume should not be set too high while driving. Because according to road traffic regulations, one should not endanger other road users with loud music and other contributions while driving, distract them or disturb them in an aggravated manner.

“Too loud music or wearing headphones in the car leads to an artificial” hearing loss “and impairs road safety, Lienhardt explains. As a result, there is a lack of significant sense of perception of noise which is important for assessing traffic flows.

Focus has to stay

If the police, firefighters, or rescue workers do not hear an emergency vehicle approaching, this could lead to an accident. Violations can lead to a fine of ten euros; And in the event of an accident, bodily harm may be neglected. Under the insurance law, there may be joint or individual liability. However, counsel does not see any fundamental limitations collapsing when listening to discussions and the like.

Regardless of whether it is music, exciting discussion topics, a report, an audiobook, news on the radio or an entertaining podcast: they all arouse emotions, but they do not harm safe driving when listening, on the contrary: “On long trips, diversity increases There is one thing that should not be forgotten in the entertainment mix: Even silence in a car can provide diversity and relaxation.