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Many music lovers get into the holiday spirit with Christmas songs. They listen to them at any opportunity, whether on public transport or in the car. But some of these songs are more dangerous than others while driving.
Auto Trader analyzed more than 140 popular Christmas songs to find out if some are more suitable for listening to in the car than others. He relied in particular on their “BPM” (beats per minute), this unit of measurement which makes it possible to determine the tempo. Previous studies claim, in fact, that fast songs with a rhythm exceeding 120 BPM are harmful to driving. They would encourage the driver to be more reckless while driving, which would increase the risk of road accidents.
Among the songs analyzed, Ariana Grande’s “Last Christmas” turned out to be the one with the highest BPM. This cover of the famous hit by Wham! would therefore be unsuitable for listening in the car, if we are to believe the experts at Auto Trader. “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams are also very catchy. These two songs are in the 200 beats per minute range, and can therefore impair the attention of the driver listening to them on the road.
On the contrary, some holiday classics are particularly suitable for the car. This is the case of “Carol of the Bells” by Mykola Leontovych. This Christmas carol, which can be heard in the film “Mom, I missed the plane!”, has a tempo of 47 beats per minute. Listening to it while driving can be a good way to distract yourself, without risking losing sight of the road and other motorists. Idina Menzel’s “Do You Hear What I Hear” and Norah Jones’ “Blue Christmas” are also good choices, as is Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
Either way, feel free while behind the wheel to play the Christmas songs of your choice at a reasonable noise level. Just make sure they don’t cut you off from other road sounds that demand your attention, or reduce your reaction time in an emergency. This is why it is generally recommended to favor softer and relaxing pieces.
Check out Auto Trader’s ranking of the ten least driving Christmas songs below:
1 – “Last Christmas” by Ariana Grande
2 – “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens
3 – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams
4 – “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
5 – “Just Like Christmas” by Low
6 – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland
7 – “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Legend
7 – “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rea
9 – “Wonderful Time” by Diana Ross
10 – “Frosty the Snowman” by Jimmy Durante
10 – “In Dulci Jubilo”
10 – “If We Make It Through December” by Phoebe Bridgers