Be warned! Calvin Harris, Britney Spears and BOB MARLEY are the 'most dangerous' artists to listen to while driving

If you keep an old Bob Marley compilation in your glovebox, just in case you crave some reggae on the way home, you may want to reconsid...

If you keep an old Bob Marley compilation in your glovebox, just in case you crave some reggae on the way home, you may want to reconsider.

The Jamaican singer, along with Britney Spears, AC/DC and DJ Calvin Harris, are among the most dangerous artists to listen to while driving, according to new research.

One in ten young drivers admitted to crashing or having a near-miss because of songs by such artists, while the pace of these tracks was linked to faster driving and more traffic violations.

Psychologist Dr Simon Moore, commissioned by insurance company More Than, surveyed drivers between 17 and 25.

In an experiment that included brain imaging and cognitive safety analysis, the subjects were asked to complete a series of laps in driving simulators while listening to various kinds of music.

Fast-paced music - at 130 beats per minute or more - was linked to faster driving and more traffic violations, because it hampered reaction times and decision-making capabilities.

Music that was too slow, however, was  linked to poor performances and underestimating time.

One in ten young drivers has had a crash or a near-miss because of the music they were listening to while 90 per cent of subjects admitted they sing and dance along the song while driving (stock image)

The best performances were observed when the driver was listening to music at around 50-80 beats per minute.

MUSIC TO AVOID WHILE DRIVING

• Fast-paced music (over 130 bpm) can make you drive faster and more recklessly
• Slow-paced music worsens your driving performance and makes you underestimate time
• Instrumental tracks are better than actual songs because lyrics are distracting
• Volume levels should be kept below 107 decibels to avoid being distracted 

This is considered a 'golden mean' that resembles the rhythm of a human heartbeat.

Interviews with the motorists revealed that a third who had crashed while being distracted by music were listening to rock, followed by 33 per cent listening to pop, and 19 per cent playing dance music.

They also named a list of artists whose songs they blamed for their bad driving. 

Besides Bob Marley, Britney Spears and Calvin Harris, other singers labelled as too distracting were AC/DC, and the groups Linkin Park and Pendulum.

The particular songs listed by the respondents included Back in Black by AC/DC, Linkin Park's Numb, Toxic by Britney Spears, Calvin Harris' We Found Love, and Bob Marley's This Is Love.  

In addition, Dr Moore found that reggae listeners were more prone to near-misses and hazardous decisions, while the fans of heavy metal, hard rock, garage and some hip hop generally drove faster.

Other factors highlighted as negative influences on driving were the presence of lyrics and the volume. Similarly, a driver didn't like a song they could lose concentration. 

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