SCIENCE: LOUD MUSIC IN CARS = DEATH

Do you roll down your car windows and blast the radio? A new study says you could die. Dr. Akshay Dwarakanath from St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, England, says many people are suffering from excessive snoring, also known as obstructive sleep apnea. This means you’re not sleeping well, which leads to excessive daytime sleepiness, so you do things like roll down the car windows and blast music to stay alert, which increases the risk of vehicular accidents. In a study of people with and without sleep apnea, participants were surveyed about their general and driving-related sleepiness, alertness strategies and history of driving incidents. They found – and get ready for this – sleep apnea patients were more likely to employ “alertness strategies” while driving than those without. And those people had a higher incidence of crashes. Common strategies among sleep apnea patients include opening windows, increasing the radio volume, singing or talking to themselves, consuming tea or coffee, chewing gum or eating, taking walking breaks, fidgeting, resting, and washing their face with cold water.
* Well, duh, of course it’s not safe to wash your face with cold water while driving.
* This study was published in the February Journal of Oh My God I’ve Got A Study Due Tomorrow.
* This story is a big snore, I tell you what.
* The good news: Car insurance companies will now search their databases for people whose medical records include sleep apnea, and raise their rates. Thanks, Doc!
* Rolling down the windows and cranking the music? You’re suffering from an overdose of Let’s Get This Party Started, Baby!