Drivers listening to higher tempo songs while in the car are more likely to drive erratically, according to a new study conducted by Moneybarn.
Two genres were tested in the study – rock music and light music. Ten tracks were chosen, with tempo for the selected rock songs all above 120 beats per minute (BPM) while the light music songs were all below 80 BPM.
Topping the list of “most dangerous” songs was Green Day’s American Idiot, with 189 BPM. Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven was named the least dangerous.
According to researchers: “This paper presents the study on the association between in-vehicle music listening, physiological and psychological response, and driving performance, using the driving simulator approach, with which personality (temperament) was considered.
“Results of mixed analysis of variance indicated that the effects of music genre and driver character on driving performance were significant. The arousal level perceived mental workload, standard deviation of speed, and frequency of lane crossing were higher when driving under the influence of rock music than that when driving under the influence of light music or an absence of music.
| Rank | Top 5 most dangerous driving songs | Top 5 safest driving songs |
| 1 | American Idiot – Green Day | Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin |
| 2 | Party in the U.S.A – Miley Cyrus | Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| 3 | Mr. Brightside – The Killers | God’s Plan – Drake |
| 4 | Don’t Let Me Down – The Chainsmokers | Africa – Toto |
| 5 | Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen | Location – Khalid |
The study was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
