Impact of noise on school bus drivers' visual reaction time: An experimental approach with road safety implications Noise and Reaction Time.

All 28 participants were male, so the findings cannot be extended to female drivers. The study used a driving simulator, not real roads. Participants knew they were in a simulation and were likely more alert than in everyday driving. Participants could hear whether noise was on or off, so they were not blinded to the condition. The noise was continuous white noise, whereas real cabin noise in a school bus is dynamic and unpredictable. The laboratory lacked dedicated soundproofing, which may have introduced uncontrolled background sound. Single company, single location, small sample (28), limiting generalisability.

The article processing charge was covered by Necmettin Erbakan University. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not read this as proof that cabin noise causes bus accidents. The study measured reaction time in a simulator with 28 male drivers, not crash rates. Participants knew whether noise was playing, which may have changed their performance, and the continuous white noise used here is not the same as the shifting, unpredictable sound of a real school bus.