The presents are stacked in the boot and a festive playlist is just waiting to get roaring. But are Christmas songs driving you to distraction?
Research by PassMeFast reveals the most and least distracting Christmas songs when you’re driving.
It’s bad news for Shakin’ Stevens fans, with Merry Christmas Everyone revealed as the most dangerous Christmas song to drive to, with a distraction score of 76 per cent.
José Feliciano and Feliz Navidad take second spot with 75 per cent. But it’s a surprising entry at number three, with the relatively new All You’re Dreaming Of released by Liam Gallagher in 2020, totting up a distraction score of 70 per cent.
Read: Cracking Christmas jokes
How the songs were scored
Using Spotify data, PassMeFast analysed the most popular Christmas playlists (consisting of a whopping 835 songs) and scored them in terms of danceability, high energy and how emotionally charged they are. Those with a high distraction percentage score are energetic, emotionally charged but with low danceability. The last factor means it has an irregular beat or tempo. These scores were then averaged together to create an overall distraction score for each song.
Read: Can you name the popular Christmas songs from just these lyrics?
10 Most Distracting Christmas Driving Songs
Hard luck Shakin’ Stevens, it’s that irregular tempo that’s done it for you. But at least you’re joined by some heavyweight performers including Elton John, Chris Rea, Michael Bublé, Mariah Carey (but not the song you might think), and Michael Jackson who also make the top 10.
10 Least Distracting Christmas Driving Songs
That classic Christmas crooner Bing Crosby makes it into the top 10 three times. While Nat King Cole with All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) takes the top spot with a distraction score of just 13 per cent. It’s followed by Ella Fitzgerald’s Baby It’s Cold Outside with 18 per cent and Bing Crosby’s The Little Drummer Boy with a distraction score of 19 per cent. Soothing, classic, and perfect when you’re behind the wheel this festive season.
To ensure your safety during the Christmas commute this year, PassMeFast has compiled expert driving tips and a Spotify playlist consisting only of the safest Christmas driving songs that are available to download on the website.
Read: A short history of three very famous Christmas carols
Here are some extra driving tips to keep you safe during your Christmas travels.
Plan ahead. Roads will be busy in the lead-up to Christmas, so try to plan around the traffic and drive when it’s less busy.
Check your tyres. Make sure your tread depth is a minimum of 1.6mm, because you wouldn’t want a flat tyre while driving to visit your friends or family.
Wear sensible shoes. Wearing comfortable shoes not only keeps your feet free of blisters but makes driving easier too! Even though you’re sitting down while driving, you’ll spend a lot of time using your feet, so make sure they’re comfy and give you good contact with the pedals.
Be well rested. Your concentration levels plummet when tired, so it’ll be harder to be aware of the hazards around you.
Keep your distance. Don’t feel pressured to get close to the car in front when in traffic. Stopping and starting may mean you need to break suddenly, and you don’t want to accidentally bump into another car. This is especially important when driving on wet surfaces as stopping distances can double.
Check for blind spots. Don’t accidentally create blind spots by overfilling your boot or backseats with luggage or Christmas presents, and make sure you can always see out of your windows.
What’s your favourite Christmas song? Do you like listening to Christmas music while you drive? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
