Could the Music You Listen to Impact Your Driving Habits?
Published at
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Driving these days is distracting enough, what with smartphones tempting you to text and chat instead of keeping your eyes on the road. That’s why, to make sure you’re driving safely, the music you blast while cruising should be the kind that calms you down, not the kind that revs you up, researchers say.
According to the British paper The Telegraph, a new study conducted by London Metropolitan University found that the safest songs to listen to while driving have a tempo of 60 to 80 beats per minute, around the same as a human heartbeat. The number-one safest song for driving in the study was found to be Norah Jones’ “Come Away with Me,” but others in the top 10 include Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Also appearing on the list were tunes by Coldplay, Radiohead, Justin Timberlake, Bon Iver and Jason Mraz.
Surprisingly, the study also found that drivers listening to classical music drove the most erratically. Hip-hop, dance and heavy metal made people drive more aggressively, braking harder and accelerating faster.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio