16 Jul 2025

When news broke today that Harry Potter star Emma Watson had been banned from driving for speeding, it didn’t take long for our minds to leap from the streets of Oxford to that unforgettable story from the archives.

Back in 2013, a Bristol delivery driver made headlines after he was pulled over for reckless driving. He’d run two red lights and taken a corner so sharply that his van rocked on its chassis. Police suspected intoxication — but not the kind they expected. Aaron Cogley was stone-cold sober. His explanation? He was “listening to drum and bass and was in a hurry.”

In court, his lawyer argued that Cogley had been “carried away by the intoxicating effects of drum and bass music.” The judge, clearly both bemused and mildly entertained, described the genre as “intoxicating for some, very irritating for others.” Cogley walked away with 80 hours of community service and a one-year driving ban.

Fast forward to July 2025, and we’ve got Emma Watson — the actress synonymous with intellectual rigour and calm precision — banned for driving 38mph in a 30mph zone. Hardly Fast & Furious territory, but with nine points already on her licence, it was enough to land her a six-month ban. She didn’t attend the five-minute hearing.

Adding an extra layer of cinematic coincidence, fellow Harry Potter alum Zoe Wanamaker — who portrayed Madam Hooch, no less — was banned the very same day for a separate speeding offence. Once again, a build-up of points triggered the ban. The court may as well have renamed the docket Hogwarts Highway Offenders.

Of course, there’s no suggestion that either actor was fuelled by a raging drum and bass soundtrack. Although… we don’t know that they weren’t.
Seriously though — it just reminded us of that Bristol case.

So… can drum and bass really make you drive differently?

When that Bristol driver said he was “high on drum and bass,” he might not have actually been chatting breeze. There’s genuine data suggesting that music can interfere with your concentration, reaction time, and overall driving judgement.

A 2023 meta-analysis of 19 experimental studies on music and driving found that high-volume or fast-tempo music — like drum and bass — tends to increase average driving speed and reduce response time. In other words, it might hype you up just enough to hit the gas harder without even realising.

That said, some music — particularly at lower volumes — can have the opposite effect, helping drivers stay calm, reduce stress, and stay alert behind the wheel.

Which begs the question: is driving to DnB a risk?

Some drivers swear it helps them focus. Others, begrudgingly, admit it ramps up their aggression or encourages a heavier foot on the pedal.

We’re not here to tell you what to do with your playlists or your accelerator.
We’re just saying… those jungle drum and bass basslines might be more powerful than you think.

Take from that what you will.

We just hope this blog plants a little seed that sprouts the next time you’re blaring beats on a solo mission. After all, celebs like Emma Watson and Zoe Wanamaker aren’t going to struggle without their licences for a few months.
But us lot? We’d be screwed.
Dunno about you, but we haven’t exactly got chauffeur money like that. LOL.

Stay safe out there.