If you like listening to Slipknot when behind the wheel, a recent study suggests you may not be driving as safely as the person listening to Taylor Swift in the next car over. In an article in the Alternative Press, the results of a study monitoring how people drive when listening to different genres of music asks the question - what's the best soundtrack for a drive? Metal, unfortunately, did not fare well.
"While classical music made drivers calm and respectful to fellow motorists, metal made drivers aggressive. Pop music, on the other hand, creates a happy medium with drivers having relatively controlled experiences."
The connection between the type of music we listen on our commute and the way we drive is an interesting one. Music can be a physical experience, with the right beat giving you a hit of adrenaline that can impact how you drive. While the study seems to suggest that Beethoven might be the best driving companion, we'd like to venture that the safest option might be no music at all. Silence, after all, is golden.
For more on the study and how it was conducted, check out the article in the Alternative Press.