A test carried out at the Transportation Research Laboratory in England showed individuals listening to sports broadcasts were as impaired as drunk drivers on the road. 

The test involved 9 men and 9 women listening to games in which they were "emotionally invested," according to test operator Direct Line. In fact, listening to the radio resulted in about 20 additional feet stopping distance when the drivers were traveling at 70 miles per hour. 

The creators of the study pointed out this measurement is about 10 percent further than the additional stopping distance created by a driver meeting the legal definition of "impaired" in England. 

In the United States, efforts to cut back on "distracted driving" have followed similar studies about text messaging, talking on the phone and even changing an iPod song. However, the question over whether there is an appropriate response to distraction caused simply by listening to the radio is not as easily answered. The battle to keep drivers focused on the task at hand appears to have gotten quite a bit more complicated.