The Surprising Impact of Holiday Music on New York Drivers

As we get ready for holiday traveling with slippery roads and bumper-to-bumper traffic, here's something that may ease your traveling pain. It's the music that's coming from your car speakers and it could impact your safety on the road.

It's not just the crazy drivers you need to watch out for. The catchy Christmas beats might be more distracting than you think! The holiday season is notorious for throwing chaos our way with icy roads, packed highways, and distractions along the way.

We usually blame texting on distracted driving, but recent data has given us another culprit: It's the music during the holly jolly season. It tells us that songs with a tempo of over 120 beats per minute (BPM) can lead to riskier driving habits, and taking our focus away from the road.

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On the other side, tunes with a tempo below 80 BPM actually help keep us calm and on track. So, the high-energy tracks or one with lots of words might be more likely to cause a fender-bender.

A recent look into tempo, energy, and speechiness help to sort out the most and least distracting songs to drive to. Here is what we know.

Avoid at All Costs
Andy Williams' "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" are the top culprits for turning your drive into a distracted disaster.

Safe & Sound
On the flip side, Michael Bublé’s "It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and Brenda Lee’s "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree" are your trusty companions for a safer drive. These tunes will help us stay focused and get to our destination in one piece.

So, the next time you hit the road, give your playlist a second thought. While those holiday anthems add to the festive feels, it's all about finding the balance between rocking around the Christmas tree and keeping your eyes on the road.